The Eternal
by Hayley de Koker
Summary: Mikaela's been around for the better part of two millennia. She's seen & heard it all & travelled the world more times than she'd like to remember. Desperate for change, she assassinates her father along and his Council and heads back to Mystic Falls to retrieve her younger brother who's been put to ground. Soon she meets Damon and the others and embarks on an exciting new journey.
1. Ch 1: Where the Heart is

Through the dense redwood forest, danger silently swept toward the sleepy town of Wesstead located not far away. The wind whooshed and whirled through the air beside them, whistling around the trees. They had reached their destination, the church.

A small elderly woman pushed open the grand church doors and examined the room. There was a sharp intake of breath as the cloaked assassins entered.

"_Silentium,_" the king ordered as he walked towards the altar. Instantly, the congregation was muted and a noise barrier that would absorb the oncoming horrors from the world outside surrounded the church building.

A beautifully haunting tune came roaring from the pipe organ and a fearful expectation rapidly grew throughout the room. A baby cried in his mother's arms. The moonlight shone brightly through the stained glass windows of the hall, creating a glow on the raven black hair of the predators. Their darkened eyes amplified the gloomy gaze on their fiendish faces. Ivory canines came gleaming through their evil smirks. This only confirmed the parishioners' fears. The Father said a hurried prayer as he hurled holy water from the font towards the beasts. Their heartless laughs echoed through the church.

Faith led them to believe such idiocies would ward off the evil kind. Unfortunately, not everything told was true.

"By this Holy water and by your Precious Blood, wash away all my sins O Lord," the king recited.

The vampiric organ player ripped the pipes from the instrument he had played a moment before. A deafening clank of metal rang through the hall. Splinters of wood flew through the air. The soon-to-be victims were too stunned to react defensively, too shocked to react at all.

The vampires swooped towards them with deadly accuracy, ready to kill. Their teeth pierced the human bodies like a shower of arrows, draining them of their thoughts, their pain, and their fear. A deadly grip and sharp swift motions ensured that none of the patrons escaped their fate. The merciless creatures tore through the human bodies one by one, breaking bones and dismembering limbs. It was certain; none would survive to tell this tale. Religious blood was always much more rewarding after all.

From atop the crowded rusty branches of her black gum perch, she watched as they returned to their graves, engorged by the sadistic massacre that ensued that night. The weak dawn sunlight amplified the blood rot mess that stained their demonic faces. Shreds of human flesh left to decompose under their filthy nails. What a disgusting race they had become.

If only they could return to the days before corruption, lust and power overrun their clan. If only her mother were still with them. Her daydream was short-lived as her father, the king, called her back to her crypt. The sun was threatening the horizon and the world would soon become safe again as the vampires were at rest.

Mikaela despised this life. Her hollow veins were filled with hunger. She was empty from the pit of her stomach. The hunger was pulling its way upward, slowly creeping; consuming her mind. It warned her. Threatening her every thought and motion. She needed blood. Fast.

She took a deep breath and discarded the notion from her head. Laying in wake, she waited for the pandemonium to break out in the town located not too far away. It seemed like an eternity, until finally she heard the screams and wails and smelled the fear and anger from the town below.

The sun now shone brightly through the charcoal-tinted glass skylight atop her mausoleum, reflecting its light throughout the cold, dark chamber. It was noon and now was the time to put her plan into motion. She rose from where she lay, emerged from her room and walked into the eerie graveyard.

Glistening rays of sun bathed her skin and she found herself wishing she could feel their warmth. Such tales she only heard from human-passersby on her lonely ventures into the cities throughout the years. She liked to observe them, alas; they were another race doomed by their ignorance.

The princess found herself in front of the first marble sarcophagus. Inside of it, lay a frumpy old woman with pale white skin and sky blue eyes. She looked up at Mikaela in awe as the dagger pierced her skin and punctured her heart. The woman burst into flames without a peep. Mikaela took care to replace the lid as she had found it.

With mechanical precision, she moved toward the next concrete coffin. It belonged to a tall vampire with long raven black hair and bloody eyes. His ghoulish stare sent a chill up her spine. He lay in wait for her to make her move and it came swift thereafter. Like the first, his body burnt to ashes.

With no time to spare, she arrived at her next victim's resting place. Her rose coloured cheeks entranced Mikaela; she lay so still, so perfectly in her space. She awoke with a theatrical scream that rang out through the graveyard. Mikaela grabbed the woman's neck, stilling her fear with a swift motion of the wrist. Her blood seeped onto Mikaela's hands. Her eyes widened at the sight. She had to move faster now as the others were sure to wake from the fresh smell of murder in the air.

As predicted, the fourth emerged from his grave. Mikaela looked back with a jolt as he started towards her with an angered expression. He was convinced he could take her on, but he was wrong. Her dagger met his heart in an instant and a gush of wind blew his ashen remains into the unknown.

Mikaela now feared the worst, but didn't hear a sound as she feverishly searched her surroundings. It was empty around her.

She moved towards the fifth tomb with caution. The lid creaked underneath her delicate touch. She gasped at what she saw. Nothingness filled the structure.

Mikaela looked back at what she'd done - four council members of The Eternal lay dead before her.

Determined not to waste anymore time searching for the fifth, she moved on to her final victim; her father, their ruthless ruler. This kill would be hardest of all. She had come full circle through the tiny graveyard. Her father's mausoleum was located next to hers. She entered and opened his coffin. He lay in wait. His eyes drenched in bloody tears. The seer already knew of her plan, it had been brewing for years now.

Caught in a daze, she was surprised to see the two muscled arms emerging from the shadows behind her. It was too late. The man secured them around her and awaited further instruction from the king. None followed. Instead of backing down, the man took matters into his own hands, placing his large hands over her neck. Mikaela wreathed underneath his heavy body and broke his arm as she struggled to break free from his grip.

Furious at his disobedient follower, the king decapitated the man. His burning head rolled off into the far corner of the room. Mikaela was speechless. She looked at her father with searching eyes. Without a word, he gave her his royal ring and pendant. He reached into his chest for his heart, took a last look into his daughter's future and with a smiling nod, he removed the organ. The king burst into flames like the rest of the council and Mikaela felt a bloody tear roll down her cheek.

The deed was done.

She returned to the open tombs, replacing the remaining lids. Her eyes seethed from her inherited power, the seers' eyes. A sharp pain shot through her heart and she wished it away.

All she wanted now was to go. She had to leave this dreadful place. She set out towards a storm brewing in the distance. Walking at first, but as her thoughts caught up with her, she started to run. She ran faster and further than ever before. Not too long thereafter, she found herself in the storm and the rain washed away the blood on her hands and dagger.

She treaded on through the fern strewn path and towards a clearing where she spotted a herd of deer grazing on weeds and herbs. The large male lifted an ear to listen, but the hush of wind was already blitzing towards him. He sprung upward, but his fate had been decided. Mikaela compelled the beast to calm down. Its heart beating slower with every sip she took in. After her feed, she returned the favour by giving the beast her blood. She stood from her knees waiting for the deer to regain its strength. Once it did, it happily sprung off into the distance once, completely healed. She felt alive with the fresh supply of blood pulsing through her veins. Her hunger sated for the time being. The cool night air brushed against her face as she continued on her way, keeping clear of the forest path.

Mikaela came to the edge of the woods and started to feel the presence of people. She lifted her gaze to see a familiar building overhead, Mystic Falls High School. Mikaela looked deeper still and noticed a boy. She listened closely to the beat of his heart. A calm peace came over her and she found her heart beating together with his.

She was staring. It was not her intention, yet she found herself transfixed on his ocean blue eyes, his soft pink lips and those rose tinted dimply cheeks. Their eyes met for a moment and she struggled to pull herself away. She prayed for a distraction and it came in the form of a blonde haired girl seated behind the boy. Thank goodness, she sighed with relief and set off towards the châteaux on the other side of town.

It had been centuries since she last visited this place and much had changed over time. She felt warmth at every turn. She was safe and knew in her heart, she was home.


	2. Ch 2: Hello Stranger

Matt sat at his desk tapping his pen to the rhythm of the clock; his attention was focused on the heavy rain surging down the classroom window beside him. Dark grey clouds covered the area and a thunderous rumble rang out through the sky. He wasn't particularly in the mood for his last class before the weekend. Looking around the class, the same could be said for the rest of the students.

His glance caught a silhouette in the distance, a girl, and it seemed like she was staring at him.

A whisper carrying his name came from behind and he turned to see who had roused him from his trance.

_Caroline... What does she want? _

Instead of responding to her beady blue eyes, he returned his gaze to the window, but the mysterious stranger had already gone. Finally, the bell rang and class was over.

An icy breeze along with the heavy rain left his fingers cold and blue. He pulled his hoodie up over his head, dug his hands deep inside his jacket pockets, and walked towards his beaten up old truck. People dressed in thick coats passed him by, not looking upwards as they marched on. The rain kept pouring down on them.

Once he reached his home, his newly acquired roommate, Luke, already stood waiting at the door with his usual cheerful grin. It was Friday afternoon and they had yet to come up with something to do over the long weekend. Once they got inside they shared some ideas, but before they got a chance to weigh their options carefully, Luke received a call. It was his mother and she sounded concerned. Although not vey explanatory, she urged him to return home as soon as possible. Whatever it was, one thing was certain – it was serious. He packed anxiously, grasped for his truck keys and went off with a hurried apology as he shut the door.

"Great," Matt sighed as he grabbed his iPod to turn some music on. He connected his headphones, put them on and plonked himself on the bed. He soon grew weary and his eyes felt heavy. A dark haired beauty crossed his thoughts and before he knew it, Matt had fallen asleep.

The drenched mysterious stranger appeared in front of him once more_. Why was she standing there? Was she waiting for someone? Was she truly staring at him?_ _And most importantly, where did she go?_ He drifted further and further into his dream, into the dark woods, in the hopes of finding her...

Mikaela was sure he'd seen her. In all her life, she hadn't felt as mischievous as she did at that moment. Luckily, she looked nothing like her age.

_What would someone who's been alive for over a millennium even look like?_

She giggled at the thought. To any mortal being, she looked like an unusually beautiful woman in her mid-20s. Her curly black tresses lay tangled across her face from the rain lashing at her from every direction. No matter, she thought and a twinkle shone in her hazel eyes.

She felt awkward as she walked through the grounds after so long. It seemed like nothing had changed. The majestic châteaux cast a blurry reflection on the pond next to it. Giant trees swayed from side to side as the raindrops trickled down their leaves. The planks of the old stone bridge creaked underneath her as she crossed.

Mikaela reached the door and rang the bell. Mr. James Carson, the butler, answered it. He was a tall muscled man, with blond hair and grey eyes, kitted out in a modern ebony suit. A crisp white shirt peeped out from underneath his sweater and his shoes were polished to perfection. He greeted her with a smile; his eyes were widened in shock. She returned the gesture but said nothing. No words were needed. The entire clan would know of her deeds by now.

She removed her shoes at the door and stepped into the entrance hall continuing up the cold marble stairs. Rain droplets dripped from her with every step. She had to get rid of her soaking clothes.

Her room was just as she remembered, not a wrinkle on her crisp white linen, or a book out of place. She walked towards the large bay window nook and counted the last few drops as they fell from the sky. The storm had died down for now and the large silvery moon peeped out from behind the light grey clouds still grumbling in the sky.

The tree branch next to his bedroom window awoke him. Matt turned a wary eye towards his alarm clock – it was 7pm. A growl came from the pit of his stomach. The violent storm had become more tranquil now. It seemed like it was getting ready to go rest.

_Rest…_ How he wished he could go back to his captivating dream, back to where he'd left her. He got out of bed with less enthusiasm than usual as a lightning bolt blitzing outside the window illuminated his room. His fingers searched for the light switch. He flipped it, only to realise that the power was out.

He searched around for his phone; frantically checking the nightstand, under the bed, in his backpack, the bathroom... He finally gave up, realising he must have left it in his locker at school.

_Could this night get any better?_

Feeling his way down the stairs, he grabbed his truck keys and denim jacket and set off to the Mystic Grill for a bite to eat. He always felt more at home there anyway.

Mikaela strode in the direction of her bathroom, removing her drenched attire as she did. Her father's Lapis Lazuli ring fell from her jacket pocket. Her eyes darkened in anger, a lifetime of fury all wanting to be known at once. Before she realised what she had done, her fist cracked through the bathroom mirror. A scarlet liquid gushed from the wound.

"That was stupid," she scolded, removing the glass that had lodged itself in the back of her hand. Her cut healed just as quickly as it was caused.

She turned the hot and cold taps on and watched the warm water flow from the showerhead. A blanket of water covered her outstretched hand and a crimson tide flowed down the drain. She soaked her long black hair in the water. The stream ran down her face, masking her tears. Her thoughts consumed her as she stood motionless in the steamy chamber.

Mikaela longed for something, _someone_ maybe, and she had to get out of the house.

"Get it together," she scolded under her breath, closing out her mixed emotions.

"Feelings are for humans." She could hear her father, Samael, say. He always believed they would be her downfall.

In a flash she was at the doors of her large walk-in closet, trying to find something to wear. She opted for a black tank top, jeans, a black leather jacket and matching ballet pumps. She wondered for a moment if this would attract any attention to herself, but discarded the notion as she looked herself over in the mirror. There were _others_ like her in this town, she could feel their presence but resisted the urge to call them to her. If they could manage to stay inconspicuous, then she could certainly do the same.

The household was abuzz with the new queen's arrival.

The melodramatic housekeeper was in tears, a few of the maids gathered around her to calm her. If Mikaela could kill her own father, there was no telling what she would do to the rest of them.

"I need a car James," Mikaela interrupted the buzz. "What do we have?"

The butler hurriedly led her to the large parking garage where she made her choice. The dark Mercedes Brabus SLR matched her mood and attire perfectly; maybe a little attention would be good for her.

She set out towards the town. A small hangout called Mystic Grill looked to be the most inviting and she parked the luxury car outside. She opened the large wooden door to the building and was happy to see a familiar face in the crowd.

The night _was_ starting to look better already.


	3. Ch 3: Getting to Know You

Damon stopped dead in his tracks, overcome by a dark presence consuming his thoughts. Something was off. He hadn't felt anything this strong since he started his search for Stefan, on the other hand, not even his own brother sent a rush through his spine like this did.

"What _is_ that," Damon finally spoke, raising one of his dark brows.

Stefan shot a worried glance at his brother, the hairs on his arms standing upright. "I don't know, but it could be dangerous."

"We should have a look then, just to be sure." The eldest pushed, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"We," Stefan mockingly asked his brother, "After all we've been through lately? Have you lost your mind?" his voice rang through the den. "We don't even know what _it_ is."

His sibling walked towards the whiskey and poured himself a drink, "And how, brother, are we supposed to find out the nature of this _thing_ if we don't look for it," he rolled his light blue eyes as he said it.

They were interrupted by a tall blonde walking casually towards them. Her eyes lingered on them as she stepped closer, hoping she was not intruding.

Caroline tilted her head at the brothers. "Do you guys feel that? It's like someone's home and they're waiting for me to let them in."

"Yes," they both spoke at the same time, their voices filled with irritation.

"Well, should we be worried," the blue eyed cheerleader continued.

"Of course not," Stefan was the first to answer.

_What was the worst that could happen, right?_

Caroline discarded the eerie feeling creeping through her. "Hey, has anyone seen Ma-?" She asked, only to realise she was the only one left in the room.

Matt grinned in the mirror shelving in front of him. Justin, the barman, just shook his head and continued to polish the glass in his hand.

Mikaela took a seat next the blonde boy; she could feel his pulse starting to race as she did.

"Bourbon, please make it a double, "she requested from the barman as he raised his head to greet her.

She ached to read the boy's thoughts, but remain composed.

"Hi, I'm Matt," he finally broke the awkward silence, flashing a sweet smile her way.

"Mikaela, pleased to meet you," she replied with an outstretched hand, noticing how his toned muscles fit in his clothes.

"Where are you from?" He continued the conversation, sipping on his beer, trying to still his nerves.

"A land far, far away, "she joked.

Matt made a face and raised his palm over his eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-," he started, turning a bright shade of red.

"I'm not really one for sharing," she explained, taking a gulp of the oak tinted liquid the bartender placed in front of her.

"Oh," was all Matt could manage.

_For goodness sake Mikaela Ashcroft, what have you done?_

She looked away whilst she peered into his thoughts. Just this _once_, she promised herself.

_How do you speak to someone that doesn't like to share? She probably hates me. Oh God, she's not even looking… Maybe she likes cars; seriously Matt, cars? Do you know any girl that knows anything about cars? I wonder if she plays pool, I could ask. But what if she says no? _

She purposely dropped the keys from the pocket of her leather jacket. Matt jumped to pick it up.

"Mercedes," he murmured returning them to her soft, delicate hands.

"Yes, Brabus SLR," she replied. "Hey, do you play any pool? " She quickly changed the subject, sweeping a loose curl away from her face.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Matt affirmed, his nerves starting to calm.

The darkness surrounded Damon as he drove closer towards the being that was drawing him in. Mikaela could feel him too. His blue Camaro convertible came to an abrupt halt as he pinpointed its location - the Mystic Grill.

_Strange_, he thought as he entered the building.

He went for his usual seat at the bar, but noticed Matt playing pool with a stranger in the corner of the room and set off towards them instead. The feeling inside him grew stronger with every step. His azure eyes were fixated on her as he moved closer.

_She couldn't be what's causing this, could she?_

Her beautiful raven haired curls bounced across her shoulders as she walked around the pool table. She had immaculate form as she sunk one of the balls into a side pocket.

"Bravo," Damon praised her, resting his elbows on their table, placing a hand under his chiselled jaw.

She lifted her gaze towards him with a smile. "Thank you," she replied.

Matt was not eager for Damon to join them and shot an unnerving glare his way. "Mikaela, this is Damon Salvatore. Damon, meet Mikaela." He introduced the two to each other through clenched teeth.

Damon strode towards the queen, his dark hair shining underneath the dim light. Their eyes still locked on one another. She met him with an outstretched hand which he promptly leaned down to kiss. "Pleased to meet you Mikaela," he said in a sweet tone. The words rolled off his tongue with old world elegance.

"Likewise, Mr. Salvatore," Mikaela smiled, releasing her icy clasp from his.

_This town was full of surprises._

"I believe it's your turn Matt," she said, returning her gaze towards him. She could feel his heart once more and walked over to where he was standing; stealing some French fries off his plate as she did. She gave him a mischievous smile.

He felt his pulse slow down again as he watched her come closer. She was way out of his league.

_Maybe she was better off with Damon_, he found himself thinking.

He wouldn't give her up without a fight though and grinned back at her once she was beside him.

"So, is that your Merc outside?" Damon distracted her from his blonde frenemy.

"As a matter of fact, it is." She replied.

The waitress arrived with a round of drinks and Damon instinctively reached for the bourbon.

Pauline slapped his hand away. "Actually, that's for her," she scolded placing the bottle of amber coloured liquid on the table in front of him.

Mikaela laughed out loud. "Another glass please, Pauline." She requested once she finally caught her breath.

After they finished their round of pool, which Mikaela let Matt win; Matt excused himself from the conversation to go to the Gents.

"What exactly are you, Mikaela?" Damon took the opportunity to ask straightforwardly.

She giggled at his frankness. "Well, I'm a vampire just like you Mr. Salvatore." She said without blinking.

"Call me Damon, _please_." He insisted, taking her in. She smelt sweet and exotic, like Jasmine blooming in the springtime. Her hazel eyes lured him closer. Her olive skin glowed in the pale moonlight shining through the window. She seemed so delicate, and yet here he was pouring them both another glass of whiskey. He decided to press on. "Then why does it feel like Earth's gravitational pull is centred on you?"

"Flattery will get you nowhere." She joked, "But, it comes with age I suppose,"

"Age," Damon scoffed at her, "You barely look-"

"We both know looks can be deceiving Damon."

He grinned her way. She was right. Here he was strong as ever at the tender age of 172, looking like an average 20-something year old.

"Does Matt know what you are?" She had to ask, she wouldn't want to shock the living daylights from the boy if she slipped up somehow.

"Yes," he started, carefully choosing his words, "Let me be the first to warn you though; he's not too fond of us."

Mikaela's heart sank. Her eyes filled with sadness. "Pity, I was really starting to like him."

"Like who?" Matt walked in on their conversation and came to a halt beside her.

"The lead singer," Mikaela fibbed, pointing in the direction of the band busy packing their equipment away.

Damon rolled his eyes at Matt. He nodded his head at Damon to show his mutual approval.

The three continued socialising and by the time Justin rang the bell to indicate it was last round, they had nearly finished the entire bottle of bourbon. Matt of course, was the only one who was drunk.

Damon helped Mikaela to carry him to her car, "Are you sure you want to take him home? I can just-"

"Drop him off on the side of the road?" Mikaela continued his thought for him. "No thank you Damon," she said shutting the passenger door beside her.

Damon moved closer to her, placing his hand over her shoulder on the roof of the car. He was drawn to her, not just by the bond that made him search for her, but physically too now. He wanted to know more.

_If only she had been here two years ago, _he thought to himself.

"Are you going to let me go now? " She sniggered at his feeble attempt to woo her.

"Not just yet," Damon whispered, leaning in closer still.

"There you are brother," a familiar voice echoed in the darkness.

Damon couldn't believe his brother's cheek. "Really Stefan; REALLY," he angrily stepped towards him.

"If you boys will excuse me, I must be off." Mikaela made her exit.

She searched Matt's pockets for some indication as to where to go.

_529 Harrison Street, Mystic Falls,_ she murmured and drove her Mercedes in that direction.

"Wait, wait, wait… You mean to tell me, you just let a _vampire_ drive off with one of the only _human_ friends Elena has left?" Stefan's voice rang out through the empty street.

"Technically Stefan, you were the one that let her get away." Damon said in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice. "Anyway, she's not going to kill him, so relax."

"Relax? You've known her for all of five hours and you believe she's harmless?" Stefan looked like he was about knock his brother out.

Damon just shook his head and walked towards his car, signalling for Stefan to follow him.

Mikaela took a right into Harrison Street. She searched the houses: 500, 508, 513, 520... Until finally; she reached number 529.

"Where are we?" Matt asked, lifting his head from the reclined seat.

Mikaela smiled at him. "You're home."

Matt took in the surroundings, as Mikaela drove into the empty driveway. "How did I? How did you?"

"Do you need a hand getting out too," she joked as she opened her door.

Matt was still dumbfounded as Mikaela opened his door, handing him his driver's licence. It was all starting to make sense to him again. "I'm so embarrassed. I'm usually the responsible one." He said running a hand through his hair, the tips of his ears and nose burning red.

"Don't be," Mikaela comforted him, holding out her hand towards him.

She walked him to his front door and waited for him to open the door. "What would be the worst thing I could tell you right now?" She asked, now was as good a time as ever.

"Uhm, that you kissed Damon." Matt said half jokingly, making a face.

She laughed and shook her head, taking a few steps back. Matt let out a sigh of relief watching her from the frame of the front door.

"I think this might top that though, "she started to confess, "Matt, I'm a vampire."


	4. Ch 4: My Brother

Matt bit his bottom lip thinking of the right thing to say. His skin was pale and he felt sick; overcome by a sudden surge of rage.

It seemed like an eternity before he finally spoke, "What do you want me to say Mikaela?" He clenched his jaw, waiting for her answer.

"You don't have to say anything Matt," Mikaela said, "I just wanted you to know."

She turned towards her car, "Goodnight."

Just then, Damon and Stefan arrived to check if Matt had made it home safely. He shooed them away and stepped inside the house.

"Goodnight," he whispered, too quiet for even her to hear.

Mikaela stopped routinely at the red light overhead. Her mind drifted further and further away as she stared blankly ahead. This was all very new to her and she wasn't quite sure how to react. She was so in thought that she didn't even notice when Damon got into the seat next to hers. A cigar smoke smell lingered on his clothes. He gently touched her shoulder to comfort her.

"You should probably get out," she ultimately sighed.

"You're probably right," Damon replied, but remained seated, "I think I'll stick around though."

It was time he put Elena behind him once and for all and Mikaela was definitely worth fighting for.

"Damn it Damon, I mean it." She spoke with a tremble in her voice, her temper growing.

"Try saying that ten times fast," Damon teased.

She turned to face him, trying with all her might to force a smile – failing miserably. He saw right through her, it was like he was looking at a version of himself from the outside. She returned her gaze forward, well aware of what would follow if she didn't. Mikaela put the car into gear and drove home. Damon turned the radio up. An indie song blared from it and he sang along, pretending to enjoy it.

"You know, I should really bring you some good music," he tried to make conversation.

Mikaela was silent, her foot resting harder on the gas. Damon watched the speedometer climb higher and higher.

"Mikaela," he tried to rouse her from her trance. It seemed like she was testing out the car's top speed and Damon promptly buckled his seatbelt. "You know what would be great? _Slowing down,_" he said at a snail's pace, not wanting to end up a mushy pile of gunk in a tin can. "Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Mikaela chuckled at him, lowering the speed. The vehicle roared through the driveway, coming to a complete halt in front of her châteaux on the other side of Mystic Falls.

The butler greeted them at the porte cochère and Mikaela handed the keys over to him. "Thank you James." Mikaela said, walking up the stairs.

"Are you coming in then, Mr. Salvatore," she invited Damon in.

Damon paced up the stairs behind her, meeting her at the front door. The giant glass doors swept open revealing a dark grey marble stairway leading up into the unknown. He was in awe of the luxuriousness of it all, taking every bit of it in; from the crystal chandeliers on the ornate ceiling to the Victorian works of art gracing the entrance hall's walls. Mikaela's graceful touch led him through an Elizabethan themed hall on the right, leading towards the study. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a portrait of her hanging on the wall. Her satin emerald coloured dress was decked out with cream lace and golden embroidery which amplified her complexion. Her curly locks were tied up into a bun and covered in a close fitting hairnet adorned with pearls and golden thread.

"A little ostentatious, don't you think?" He teased, twirling her closer to his side.

"Perhaps," she replied, "Anything to make father happy though."

"Ah, you have daddy issues," Damon pulled her leg, "I like that in a woman."

She rolled her eyes at him and went into the room up ahead. He followed her inside.

"Bourbon or blood," she asked as he entered the room.

Intrigued by the choices, he opted for the latter; taking a seat by the grand Steinway & Sons piano overlooking the grounds. She placed his drink on the side table next to it and joined him on the bench. The melody of Für Elise flooded the room; the elegant tune took her back to the 19th century when she first heard it. She watched Damon's nimble fingers as they danced gracefully over the keys.

_Full of surprises_, she found herself thinking again.

"I'm impressed," Mikaela told him, once he hit the final note.

"It _is_ possible to please you then?" he smirked her way.

She folded her arms and shook her head at him. "It's been known to happen occasionally." She took another sip of her crimson treat and her eyes transformed into a black abyss.

He noted that her change was much different from his own and asked. "Exactly how old are you?" His curiosity was getting the best of him.

"Over two millennia," she said in all seriousness.

"More than two thousand years? You're one of the Originals?" He asked confused, "How is that even possible?"

"By Original's I presume you mean the Mikaelson's?" She laughed, "Are they still compelled into believing that?"

Damon was shell-shocked. "Did you just say they were compelled?"

"Yes." Mikaela explained. "My brother and I are the descendants of the first two vampires to roam the Earth. They've been around since the beginning of time"

"Adam and Eve," Damon tested, furrowing his brow.

"Lilith and Samael," Mikaela corrected him, walking over to one of the ornate sofas in the room.

"And you were _born_ from them?" Damon queried, his mind overwhelmed by what he was hearing.

She nodded, aware of just how unbelievable it all sounded. "My family's power is much greater than you may think Damon."

Her voice was soft as she recalled the events.

"During the Middle Ages my younger brother, Dmitri, fell in love with a human girl, Ava. He tried to hide their relationship from my father, but he eventually found out about it once he read his diary. He was furious to say the least. How dare the son of a king defy his own father? That night, my father massacred the girl and her family and turned the rest of the village into our kind. Once the sun set, the Newborns, as we called them, started to feast on the nearby villages: picking off entire clans. We had to stop them."

Mikaela took a deep breath.

"The four of us cornered them, and a vicious battle ensued. My mother unfortunately did not survive, making my father even more livid. He ripped apart everything in his sight. We had to find a way to disappear of course and that's when my father collected on a deal he made with the werewolves many years before. They attacked a nearby village and took the blame for it all. My father then compelled his friend, Esther, to do what she did, thus creating the Originals."

"Wait a minute, did you say king," Damon spoke, trying to make sense of it all. "That makes you a princess then."

"Technically, I'm queen now." Mikaela spoke, her voice barely a whisper.

"And your brother?" he asked, taking a seat on the detailed oak table beside her.

"My father put him to ground," Mikaela answered, "I'm here to dig him out."

"Maybe you could you use a hand," Damon offered, looking at the clock overhead.

"I need to prepare first," she said. "I'll need blood and a few supplies. Dmitri's been down there for almost a millennium and will need to regain his strength."

Damon agreed to meet her back at the mansion at nightfall. As he lingered by the front door, the sun crept over the horizon, filling each shadow it could find with its warmth. He walked down the steps and looked up at her from the bottom.

"It's gonna be okay you know," Damon spoke as his brother pulled into the driveway.

"I know," Mikaela replied, waving back at them as they drove off.

Mikaela was exhausted, but she had much to do. She jumped in the shower, clearing her thoughts. As she stepped out, she was surprised that the mirror she broke the night before had been promptly replaced.

A housemaid was waiting for her in her room. "Yes," Mikaela enquired, confused by her presence.

"I'm here to assist you my lady." She replied with a curtsey.

Mikaela advised her that she would not need any assistance in getting ready, ever, and order her to convene James and the rest of the household in the entrance hall downstairs.

She stepped into the closet and picked out an outfit; a white off the shoulder blouse, a pair of jean shorts and gladiator sandals. She loved how her hair just fell into place with not much effort on her part and touched up her make-up before she walked towards the small gathering.

"James, since when do we employ humans," she asked as she finally reached the bottom of the stairs.

The butler stepped forward with a bow, "Your Majesty, I can assure you that they are willing and have not been compelled to be here."

"And they conveniently serve as our food source as well," she said angrily, gesturing towards the blonde haired blue eyed woman still lingering on her palate, a few others tightened the neckties around their necks.

James spoke quietly, "I will dispose of them if you wish it milady."

Mikaela was appalled at the notion, "There will be no need for that James. We will not kill humans, unless we are facing death. Do I make myself clear?"

The household nodded in unison, "Yes Majesty."

She dismissed everyone but James, Greta and the human servants. "Now," she continued, "I need your assistance in reviving my brother tonight. All those willing to assist me, please step forward. "

They all did, she felt almost no fear coming from them.

She went on, "Good, and thank you. I will need two cups of blood from each of you. James, would you be as kind as to assist them with their donations."

"Of course Highness," he said with a bow.

"Greta," she addressed the housekeeper.

"Milady," the woman replied.

"I will need you to prepare my brother's room. Make sure he has everything he needs." Mikaela advised her.

"Certainly Madam," Greta left to comply with the queen's orders.

"So it turns out she's the king's daughter and our dear friend Klaus is not as Original as he would like to believe." Damon finished recalling Mikaela's story to his brother.

"And you want to dig up her brother who was the indirect cause for the downfall of entire clans?" Stefan said, disappointed again by his brother's choices.

"I really don't know why I even bother talking to you," Damon said, walking up to his room.

"Do what you want Damon," Stefan shouted up the stairs, "You're on your own on this one."

Damon winced, "No brother, I've been on my own for a long time now."

Matt's eyes burned red in the palms of his hands. He dragged his aching body over to the bathroom.

"Never again," he convinced himself, lifting his face to the mirror.

A scent of jasmine lingered on the left side of his shirt, a tint of cigar smoke on the right.

_Bloody vampires! _

He angrily removed his shirt and ran himself a bath. Matt climbed into the warm water and submerged his entire body in it. He felt like he was finally alone with his thoughts. He thought of how hurt Mikaela must have been when she left his house and hated himself for not being more understanding. His ex is a vampire, two of them, to be exact. He lifted his head from the water. He had to fix things with her, but wasn't sure where or how to go about it. He didn't have her number. He didn't know where she lived. He didn't really know anything about her, besides the fact that she was a vampire. If only he had given her a chance.

_Great, she probably really hates you now_, he thought to himself.

By the time it was midday, Mikaela had already bought a few supplies in town for her brother and herself; cellphones, laptops, new clothes and a few other necessities. She turned a corner with arms full of shopping bags, colliding with Matt.

He apologised profusely, collecting her bags from the pavement. "I'm so sorry," he said again.

"Don't worry about it," Mikaela said, continuing towards her car. She opted for a grey Volvo S60 this time around.

"Hey, can we talk." Matt's voice called out to her.

Mikaela placed her wares in the car and shut the trunk. "Here," she asked with a confused expression on her face.

They both agreed it might be less conspicuous to talk at the Grill across the road.

"A lemonade for me please," Mikaela said as the waitress came to take their order.

"I'll have the same," Matt said. His head still heavy from the night before.

Matt helped Mikaela with her BlackBerry and got her number while he was at it. "And you just press here to call me," he smiled showing her how to dial. He remembered he left his phone at the school and made a mental note to collect it from his locker after football practice that day.

Just then, their drinks arrived.

"So, what would you like to talk about?" Mikaela asked.

"That thing you told me last night, I'm sorry for overreacting." Matt said.

Mikaela's heart was beating fast. "It's nothing Matty, really."

"It's not," Matt insisted, placing his hands over hers on the table.

_Calm down_, she thought to herself, her heart felt like it was about to rupture from her chest.

Damon came dashing into the Grill. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Mikaela simply answered.

'I felt, I thought-," He continued, looking at their intertwined fingers on the table.

"I'm fine Damon," She said, pulling her hands away.

"Shouldn't you be running after Elena or something," Matt scowled in his direction.

Damon shook his head. "Nah, I'm over that, I think it's your turn to sit around and mope over her for a change," he replied, pulling up a chair.

"Is everything alright here," Stefan asked once he reached their table a moment later.

"Brother," Damon introduced him, "Meet Mikaela. Mikaela this is my _dearest_ brother, Stefan."

Mikaela stood up to greet him. "Thank you Stefan, everything's fine here."

He left soon thereafter. Elena was due back from her trip and he had to collect her from the airport.

"Did you get everything you need for tonight?" Damon knit his brows.

"Yes, all sorted," Mikaela confirmed.

"What's happening tonight?" Matt queried.

"The two of us have some vampire business to take care of," Damon said with a smug look on his face.

"Can I help?" Matt offered Mikaela; he didn't like the idea of Damon being alone with her.

"It's too dangerous Matty," she said, "Especially for someone like you."

"I'll come over to your place when I'm done, so we can finish our conversation." she promised.

They all said goodbye and went their separate ways. Mikaela tried to make sense of her predicament_. _

_My life has become so complicated in the last 24 hours, _she thought to herself.

That night Damon arrived at Mikaela's with a tall brunette with emerald eyes. "For your brother's entertainment," he simply said, avoiding eye contact with Mikaela.

She shook her head and requested that Greta take the woman to her brother's room.

The human servants were told to leave the mansion that night, and promptly left when it was time to do so.

Mikaela took Damon and James to the back yard where her brother was buried. Each of the men carried a shovel; Mikaela brought a flask of blood and a hooded robe to shield her brother from any prying eyes. This would not be a pretty sight. They walked towards the lone grave situated in the middle of her park-like garden.

Damon and James began to dig and reached the coffin not too long thereafter. Mikaela stood watching as they cleared the ground. She jumped in the hole to open the coffin. Damon grabbed her hand, worried for her safety. Mikaela smiled up at him to assure him that everything would be okay. As she lifted the lid, James let out a gasp.

Dmitri's skin was as dry and cracked as the wooden bark casket he lay in. His bones too stiff to move, cataracts had formed around his eyes - blinding him. He was wrapped in silver chains dipped in vervain. Mikaela promptly tore them from him.

"Brother, what has he done to you?" Mikaela said as she poured the scarlet liquid down his throat. Her weeping brought a tear to his eyes.

"Sister, you came for me," he said, his voice hoarse and raspy.

"Of course I did," she comforted him, happy to see some life returning to his face.

She lifted him from where he lay and ordered James to cover the site back up.

Damon helped her carry her brother back into the house. "This seems kind of familiar," he told Mikaela.

She in turn, poked him in the ribs.

"You're used to carrying half undead people around then?" Dmitri managed to crack a joke.

The three of them laughed as they reached the patio door where Greta stood waiting.

"Now, you two leave. I'm in very capable hands as you can see," he said.

"Are you sure," Mikaela pressed, still not convinced.

Dmitri playfully nudged her out the door, closing it behind him.

"I guess that's a yes," Damon answered for him.

She lifted her gaze to his. "Thank you for coming tonight Damon," Mikaela said, kissing his cheek, "I owe you."

Damon pulled her closer in an embrace. He drew away slightly, cupping a hand around her face. She looked into his eyes and was happy for the first time in centuries. He looked back down at her, slowly leaning in.

Their lips finally met and he was holding her around her waist now. His yielding lips pressed softly against hers as she ran her fingers through the back of his head.

"Ahem, "the butler cleared his throat, pointing towards Mikaela's back pocket. He moved past them towards the house.

Mikaela recognised the blaring ring tone. She unconsciously looked at the screen, but already knew it could only be one person - Matt.


	5. Ch 5: Broken (Not Fixed)

_Voicemail, AGAIN!_

Matt had called three times already and left two messages for her to call him back. He angrily threw his phone on the bed.

Overcome with a rush of panic, he instinctively reached for his truck keys and opened the front door. It was like she had read his mind.

Mikaela, a bit flushed, stood waiting on the porch.

Matt's eyes lit up at her sight. "I've been worried sick," he told her, hugging her close.

"I'm a big girl Matty, and I think I can handle my brother." She replied.

"Your brother, is that what this was all ab- -," His voice trailed off as she walked right past him, into the living room.

"How did you... I thought you had to be invited in," he asked in awe.

"Just some old world magic," she replied, grinning.

Matt closed the door and walked towards her. "You're magic too?" He said without thinking.

Mikaela looked around the room; it was simple, yet elegant, "Kind of, but that's not exactly what I meant," she answered, turning back to look at him, "It actually comes with age."

She sat down with him and explained the story as she relayed to Damon, including the events of the evening. She did omit her final interactions with Damon, of course.

"So technically, your father is to blame for Klaus and his psychotic family?" Matt spoke in an apprehensive tone.

"Yes," she simply replied.

"Wow, that's a lot to take in… your Majesty," he humorously added.

"Call me that again and there will be consequences." She joked back, jumping out of her seat to avoid his hand from brushing against her.

"Is everything okay, Mikaela," he asked, noting how tense she was tonight,

"You seem a little… distracted." He said, searching for the right word.

"I'm fine Matt, just wondering how my brother is doing." She fibbed. Her mind was actually on Damon, who agreed to stay behind at her place in case her brother needed any help. Just then, her phone beeped in her back pocket.

"So, it _does_ work," Matt said, looking at her as she pulled it from its place.

"I never said it didn't," she said, shooting him a warning look.

She grinned at Damon's text, _Stop thinking about me._ _I miss you too._

"Damon?" Matt's voice brought her back to her immediate reality.

"Yes, it seems my brother's doing well," she said, looking back up from her phone.

"Oh, that's good news." Matt replied, not fully convinced.

She smiled at him.

Matt took a deep breath, mustering up some courage, "Are you two seeing each other," he asked earnestly.

Mikaela stepped back, caught by surprise.

"No," she assessed her situation, "Yes… Maybe... I don't know Matt; I'm not really sure who or what I want right now." She finished

Matt's hands rolled up into clenched fists and he slammed them against the doorframe. His fiery anger towards Damon growing: burning up from the inside.

Mikaela tried to calm him with her soft touch. "Please don't Matt," she begged, her own heart breaking too.

He looked back towards her, "I'm so sorry," he said, realising that she was just as upset as he was.

"You should really stop apologising to me you know," she continued to comfort him.

He laughed at her, feeling a little better. "I'm such a bad host. Can I get you anything?" He asked, realising she'd been there for over two hours already and he hadn't even offered her a drink.

"No thanks," she promptly replied, "It's late and I really should be going. Will you be okay?"

Matt nodded, walking towards her outstretched arms.

As she left, he silently wondered if Damon would leave once she arrived. He could feel the blood boiling in his veins.

Damon stood waiting for her on the front porch when she finally arrived.

"Your brother's quite the playboy," he said, admiring another woman stumbling out the front door in a whimsical daze. The butler pointed her in the direction of the Rolls Royce and taxied her home

"No casualties I hope," Mikaela feebly said, exhausted by the night's events.

Damon shook his head. Her brother was very chivalrous, leaving more than enough life in his conquests for them to make a speedy recovery.

"You look like you could use a drink," he noted, "_You know_, It's been said that I'm a _great_ caretaker," he enthused, lifting her up in his arms.

She swung her arms around his neck and smiled up at him as he carried her inside the house. "Oh really," she asked, giggling.

He carried her up to where her room was. He had poked around previously, accidentally stumbling across her brother and the woman he brought with him earlier doing unmentionables in the room across from hers. She curtseyed as he set her down on the floor and immediately went to lie down on her bed after that.

Damon lay beside her, turning his gaze her way. "How did he take it?" He queried, biting the inside of his cheek.

She curved her body towards him as she ran her delicate fingers through his hair. "He was upset," she said, not wanting to elaborate on Matt's fury.

She rested her head on his chest, listening to the faint sound of his heart beating until she drifted away into a dreamless sleep.

Mikaela rose from a door creaking down the hall. She silently crept from her bed, carefully trying not to wake Damon. The thistle and periwinkle hues of the morning twilight shone dimly through the large hallway windows.

She stepped closer towards the partly open door. "Dmitri," she called out to her brother.

"Here sister," he replied from the bottom of the stairway.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Mikaela scowled, walking down towards him.

"I've rested enough," he promised, reaching out his hand towards her. "I need to go hunt," he said, once she reached his side at the ground floor landing.

"Didn't you get enough last night?" she joked, rendering her brother temporarily speechless.

Greta greeted them both with a curtsey and provided the prince with a jacket.

"She does realise I don't really need this right?" He mocked once the housekeeper had left.

Mikaela sniggered, scribbling on a page from her notepad. "At least she cares enough for you to bring you one."

Greta cleared her throat from behind her, presenting Mikaela with a jacket as well.

She smiled at the woman, took the garment and put it on.

Mikaela removed a set of car keys from the key rack and placed it on top of her note. "For when he wakes up," she told Greta, pointing upstairs to her room where Damon was still sound asleep.

The woman nodded to her queen in understanding before excusing herself from their conversation.

"Is that for your lover," her brother inquired, batting his eyelids.

"He's no such thing," She rolled her eyes and grabbed him by his arm. "Shall we be off then?"

The morning sunlight crept in through the large French windows, bathing Damon's skin in light. He awoke to find that Mikaela was not there. He couldn't even feel her usually vibrant presence around him. He walked through the hallway, peeping into every room. Even her brother's room was empty, the bed neatly made. He went to check downstairs.

"The masters are not home," Greta told him in her posh English accent. She was a staunch woman, with short grey hair and amber eyes. She mumbled something about hunting and that she didn't know when they would return.

"Her Highness left that for you" She said, pointing in the direction of a note and the keys to Mikaela's Mercedes on the kitchen table. He placed the keys in his back pocket and silently read the note.

_Dearest Damon, _

_I'll be out hunting with my brother today._

_Will stop by later to see how you're doing._

_Try not to get yourself into any trouble whilst I'm away…_

_I apologise for leaving you to wake without a kiss, _

_but be assured that your lips will be on my mind all day._

_Mikaela_

_P.S: Stop thinking about me._ _I miss you too._

_And __**don't**__ scratch my car..._

Damon was in an extremely chirpy mood as he drove towards the Salvatore Boarding House.

"Honey, I'm home," he shouted up towards his brother's room, receiving no reply.

He danced towards the bourbon to a tune playing in his head. It had been a long time since he was this happy and he was enjoying every minute of it. He reached for an old book from the elaborate bookcase in the parlour and began to read.

"Quiet!" Mikaela hushed her brother, "You'll scare all the deer away."

"You should remember sister, I'm a little out of practice," he said, "Hunting is the last thing you think about while being buried for a millennium, give or take a few years."

Mikaela cringed at the thought, "I'm glad you're alright, Dmitri. I missed you."

She stopped dead in her tracks. "Sh," she whispered, placing a finger across her lips.

The large deer trod closer still; unaware of the danger it was walking into. In unison, the two vampires dashed forward, compelling it to a helpless state.

It was early afternoon when Damon finally lifted his head from the book. He removed his feet from the coffee table and stood to stretch his legs.

At that moment, the front door swung open with a bang and he stumbled back to see Matt walking towards him.

"Can I help you?" Damon asked, placing the book on the table.

"_You_ need to back off." Matt threatened, pushing him back with an outstretched index finger.

"What?" Damon asked confused, "If you're talking about Elena, I told you, that's none of my concern anymore." He continued irritably, trying his hardest to remain composed.

This only enraged Matt more and he threw a blow Damon's way. "This has nothing to do with _her_, I'm talking about Mikaela!"

"You little runt," he heatedly leapt back to his feet and grabbed Matt by the shoulders. Damon's punch left Matt sprawled across the floor.

"Damon, NO!" Mikaela's voice rang out through the room, just a few seconds too late. Her eyes were full on black with anger. She dashed towards Matt and examined the gash across his cheek.

Stefan and Elena rushed towards the parlour.

"What's going on here?" Stefan shouted at his brother, his eyes widened at the sight.

"Oh my God Matt, are you okay?" Elena asked, kneeling next to Mikaela.

Damon felt an urge to leave the room; he had to get away from it all before he did or said anything he might regret.

"_Desino,_" Mikaela ordered and Damon found that his feet were stuck like concrete to the ground.

"If this _ever _happens again," she warned him, facing him now, "You _will_ be sorry."

"Just go ahead and blame me." He exploded, his anger radiating from him like a solar flare, "It's always _Damon_ that's the bad seed, never the doe-eyed busboy or the perfect younger brother." He continued, gesturing towards the two men on the other side of the room.

Mikaela turned away from him, holding back her tears. A crippling pain crept out from inside her heart and filled her every thought.

"That's right, rather go comfort your darling football star," he snarled, his voice harsh and unforgiving.

That was it, she had had enough.

Before she knew it, it was done. Her palm connected with his cheek with brutal force, sending him flying through the air. Elena and Stefan gasped for air as Damon crashed to the floor. He lay writhing in agony and once he removed his palms from his face to reveal the extent of his injury, Elena wished he hadn't. Matt's heartbeat rang in their ears like a beating drum. Where Mikaela's hand had collided with Damon's face, the skin was burnt away. His open wound stung as trails of bright red blood trickled down his cheek.

The room filled with an eerie silence.

Dmitri appeared at the door and gazed in on the scene.

_Not again_.

"Mikaela," he called out, walking towards her. "Mikaela, look at me." He tried again, shaking her, but failing to snap her out of her state.

Her black eyes were still fixed on Damon as she walked towards the door. Her pain was intolerable; she clenched at her chest as the world around her melted away. And once she reached the entrance, she finally felt no more. The vampires could no longer sense her presence. She walked out the door and seconds later, she was gone.

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Dmitri scolded, running after her.


	6. Ch 6: Not Alone

Mikaela managed to grab the keys to the Merc before she dashed out. She drove as fast as her car would allow, flying over the straight road that connected the town. She came to a screeching halt in front of the manor.

"Show yourselves!" She called out to the staff as she swung open the large glass doors.

She could feel their fear as they flocked towards her.

"Majesty," they greeted her, kneeling at her feet.

She motioned for James to come closer.

"See to it that the humans are compelled to forget anything they've heard or seen here. I want them out of this house by nightfall." She commanded; her eyes still filled with rage.

He'd seen her like this once before, before the council left for the country, and knew very well what had happened to them. She was not to be taken lightly when angered and James nodded in acceptance.

"Greta, you and the others will remain in the dungeon until further notice." Mikaela ordered.

"Yes my queen." She obeyed, signalling for the staff to get a move on.

"Your Highness," James dared. "What would you like me to do with those with vervain in their system?"

The women held their breath and a faint muffled cry filled the room.

"Drain them, heal their wounds and drop their bodies off in the woods." She had shut her emotions off from the world, forgetting who she was and what mattered. "Just get them out of my sight."

"Mikaela," Dmitri's voice echoed in the hall, shooting her a bewildered look. "That's a little drastic, don't you think, sister?"

"It _will _be so Dmitri," she said and he could hear by her heartless tone that the conversation was over.

She walked upstairs towards her room and took a seat in the corner. She looked towards the bed, where just this morning, she had been madly in love with Damon, tracing his lips with her finger.

Not realising what she was doing at first, she reached out to his emotions. The hurt flooded her heart. She felt even deeper, allowing his thoughts become hers. And she wished it weren't true. She conjured a spell into the air and the evening light disappeared, giving way to the thunderous rumble of fluffy dark clouds. She could only hope that they reach him in time.

"I think you should leave Matt," Elena said, still trying to come to terms with the afternoon's events.

"I could drive you," Stefan said, noting the grumble of rain in the distance.

Matt nodded and continued to the door, he stopped where Damon was propped up against the sofa. "I'm sorry Damon. I never meant for this to happen."

Damon looked away from him, baring his scar. "Just go away." He spoke through clenched teeth.

Matt understood. He turned back towards the door to leave, and joined Stefan in the car

Elena grabbed hold of Damon's shoulder to help him up.

"Don't touch me," he said, not wanting her sympathy, "I can do it myself."

He walked up the stairs towards his room, his head hung low. He too wanted to shut out his emotions, but the harder he tried, the more he felt.

He never wanted this, _anything,_ but this.

Damon locked his door behind him. He wanted to fix this so bad, but he knew he couldn't. Maybe she _is _better off with Matt. If that were the case, he'd rather die than live without her. He removed his Lapis ring and walked towards the last rays of sunshine. His heart was aching for her and he wished for the death that he felt inside of him. Just then, the booming clouds that had been brewed on the other side of town covered the last bit of dusk.

_Clever minx_, he thought to himself.

"Tomorrow then," he whispered, secretly hoping the threat didn't fall on deaf ears.

The ride to Matt's house seemed longer than usual. "It's probably better this way," Stefan tried to assure him.

"How is being miserable, hurt and alone better?" Matt demanded, it was clear as day that neither of the suitors would have Mikaela.

"You may not understand this right now Matt, but she did this for you, for the both of you; to stop you two from fighting." Stefan replied.

"Oh, I get it... Just like Katherine turned you guys into vampires to help the two of you?" Matt sneered sarcastically, "We both know how well that worked out."

Stefan kept his eyes focused on the road. Matt was right, none of what Katherine did helped him and Damon, it only tore them apart.

"She's not like Katherine, Matt. We both know that." He finally said, hoping it was true.

"Do we? Did you not see what she did to your brother?" Matt interrupted, "If that were me, I'd be dead."

He climbed out from the vehicle which had come to a halt in front of his house. "Thank you Stefan, and goodnight."

Dmitri wished he could help his sister. All those years she had to endure alone with their father, he wondered if this contributed to the events that unfolded earlier. If only he had listened to her earlier, before things with Ava got to where they were. God knows how different things could have been.

He took the vervain filled women from James and compelled them, just as the butler had done the others. After all the human blood he had consumed the night before, this was the least he could do with his powers.

"Do not tell Mikaela of this until she is herself again." He ordered, "And only if she asks, understood?"

"Of course Majesty," the butler nodded, thankful that the women could be saved.

He joined the rest of the staff in the dungeon, grabbing enough blood to last them a few days. Who knows how long they would be there and he didn't want things to get even more out of hand than they already were.

It had been a week since Damon left the Salvatore Boarding House. He was in the study, pouring himself a drink. The downpour hadn't stopped since the day of the incident. He stared blankly out into the heavy rain. His skin had tightened around the wound on his face and he did nothing but sulk around the house.

"You should go talk to him Stefan. See if he's okay," Elena said one afternoon.

"He just needs time Elena and to be quite honest, I prefer him moping over someone other than you for a change." Stefan smiled.

Elena nudged his ribs, reminding him how horrid he was being. Her smile however, indicated she felt the same.

Stefan poured himself a drink and walked over to where Damon was standing.

"Damon," Stefan tried to reason with his brother.

Damon cut him off. "I'm not in the mood, Stefan."

"Are you going to stay locked up in the house for the rest of your life," the youngest asked.

"I'll do exactly as I please, brother." Damon replied.

Stefan replied earnestly. "I'm only trying to help."

Damon acknowledged this, turning towards him. "Fine," he tilted his glass towards Stefan, "A night out on the town with my brother then."

Stefan smiled while toasting his glass with Damon's, "Deal."

There was a loud knock at the door. Without thinking, Damon walked to open it.

"Good heavens," Klaus said with raised eyebrows, "What the hell happened to you?"

"A furious fling, don't ask." Damon simply stated, "What are you doing here?"

Stefan stepped closer and greeted their visitor with a furrowed brow, "Klaus."

"I'm looking for Rebekah. She said she had a strange feeling, and left the house. That was three days ago and I haven't seen her since." Klaus started, "I figured she was just looking for an excuse to come see you, but now that I have," he said pointing to Damon's face, "Well, let's just say I wouldn't stay around either."

"She hasn't been here Klaus," Stefan answered for his brother.

"Don't you have bigger things to worry about than your sister running off?" Damon probed, remembering what Mikaela had told him about the Mikaelson's.

"Running after Caroline is not a priority right now," Klaus answered briefly, "But that's not what you're talking about, is it?"

"Damon, don't," Stefan warned his brother.

"C'mon, out with it then," Klaus demanded.

"Let's just say, you're not the almighty Original that you believe yourself to be." Damon smirked, taking pleasure out of what he was saying.

"Does that wound extend to your brain? _You_ sound like you've lost your mind." Klaus returned.

"I have two words for you Klaus, Mikaela Ashcroft." Damon couldn't contain his excitement. "Go ask her yourself if you don't believe me."

Klaus turned his gaze towards Stefan, "Where can I find her?"

"At the châteaux on the other side of town," he replied, "You'll feel her when you get closer."

"Did you just say I'll _feel_ her?" Klaus asked, stunned.

"Yes," the Salvatore's answered back and before they knew it, Klaus was gone.

The doorbell awoke Mikaela from her slumber. "Is no one going to answer that," she shouted.

She rose from her daze at the umpteenth ring, realising that she'd banished the household underground earlier that night.

A familiar face met her at the door. "What's this rubbish you've been spreading that we're not Originals then," the man demanded.

"Niklaus, I wasn't expecting you." She said, walking towards the parlour.

Klaus tried to enter her home, but fell back as he did.

"Oh, do come in," she called from down the hall, sniggering at herself.

He carefully placed one foot over the threshold and was relieved when he could pass through. He followed her down the same hallway she had led Damon.

Once he was in the room, she poured a glass of blood from the crystal jug. "Come join me," she continued, lifting it towards him.

Klaus did as he was told, accepting the glass from her. "Do I know you?" He asked, eyeing her suspiciously before he took a seat.

"You used to," she replied, "Here, let me show you."

Mikaela peered into his blue eyes and removed him from his compulsion.

Klaus was submerged in the wonderful world that Mikaela had painted for him. He was back to the 10th century, to a time before he was turned.

_First, she showed him how her father compelled Esther to turn them into vampires._

_Then, his memories came in vivid bursts... _

_He remembered taking moonlit strolls with her, away from the prying eyes of the village. _

_He remembered going riding with her and hunting with bows and daggers. _

_He remembered being brave and courteous, willing to kill anyone who harmed her._

_He remembered the campfire picnics he had with Dmitri, her and his own siblings. _

_He remembered picking her flowers and making her little wooden sculptures. _

_He remembered every word and action. _

_He remembered how she made him forget. He was with her, holding hands in the forest. _

_'I love you,' he heard himself whisper for the first time. His heart was aflutter and his cheeks were burning bright red. _

_'I love you too Nik, and that's why you can never remember this.' She grabbed his face and did the deed._

The short-lived reverie had ended and he came crashing back to reality. "I can't believe you made us forget you… made _me_ forget..." He was truly hurt. It was like the best part of him had been ripped from his life. "You could've told me to run."

"And you would have been no better off than what Katerina was!" Mikaela was furious; a vein was pulsating on the side of her throat.

Klaus looked at her with widened eyes. "How did you-"

"It's not like I just left you alone Niklaus, I care for you more than you know." She tried to make him comprehend. "I had to. It was for your own good. After what my father did to Ava and her family, I couldn't risk it."

He noticed his sculptures standing on a shelf in the bookcase across the room, even one of his paintings graced the walls.

"Oh, really," Klaus sneered, "A lot of good that did me now, didn't it?"

"Would you rather have lived as a prisoner with your father, than be free with your army of hybrids? Rather have death than all this?" Her voice trembled as she pleaded.

"Are you delusional?" He grabbed her by her arms, trying everything in his power to make her understand. "What's the use of having _all this_ when the people you want to share it with do nothing but reject you?"

"Well, maybe if you weren't such an ass-" she started, but bit her tongue. She removed his grip from her shoulders.

"Then what," Klaus pushed her, urging her to continue. "Say it!"

"If you would just open your eyes, you'd see that people do care for you. That _I _care for you Nik; I understand that you're mad, but there's nothing I want more right now than for you to forgive me." She begged, not about to let him go again.

Klaus focused on the woman standing before him; her black curls lay in waves down her shoulders. Her hazel eyes were brimming with tears. He felt weak by the sight of it. At that moment he realised, she made him feel more human than he could ever remember.

"Compel me again, and let's start this conversation over." He said jokingly. He looked deep into her eyes and cupped a hand around her face.

She rested her head on his hand and wrapped his index finger in her palm. "Nik…"

The whole world seemed to stop when she said his name. "I'm joking, my lovely. Forgive me for being so rude, I just don't know how to handle these things anymore." He said, trying his hardest to cheer her up.

"I remember you being quite the gentleman once upon a time." She smiled at him. "Just go back to that and we should be fine."

Klaus beamed back at her. He was calm and gentler now.

She wondered what had brought him to her. "You were at the Salvatore's then," she interrogated.

"Yes, they filled me in," he said, "By the way; you did quite the number on Da-"

"I'd rather not talk about that." She interrupted.

A gentle breeze swept in through the open windows. It danced between the leaves and left behind a smell of danger.

The doorbell rang, and a familiar feeling dawned upon her. The werewolves had arrived.


	7. Ch 7: Opposing the Queen

Mikaela swiftly walked over to open the front door.

"You know Mikaela, there's one thing I truly hate - smelling like wet dog," the man sneered. "Is this dreadful weather really necessary?"

"Forgive me Darius. I didn't know you were coming." Mikaela quickly lied, whispering a spell into the twilight above them.

"We both know that's not true, seer. " He said, planting a kiss on the back of her hand. "Do remind me to _never_ cross you."

Klaus stepped out from behind her. "And _you_ are?" He spoke at her guests in an unimpressed tone.

The trio smirked at him, their crystal blue eyes turning a golden brown, "Much older and wiser than you, hybrid." One said, spitting on the ground beside him.

Dmitri emerged from his room, aware of the impending doom brewing below. He went to join his sister at the door.

Mikaela placed her arm across the doorframe to stop either of them from crossing the threshold. Klaus was clearly unaware of the power the men standing in front of him held. "Nik, this is Darius. Darius, this is my dear friend, Niklaus Mikaelson. You might remember him if you tried a little harder."

Darius shot her a wide eyed gaze. "Mikaelson you say," he enquired, "Any relation to Esther?"

Mikaela gulped loudly, "Why don't you boys' come-"

"You knew my mother?" Klaus interrupted.

Darius reeled at his words, "_Knew?_"

"Yes, knew – she's dead…gone...rotting." Klaus replied, emphasizing each word.

Darius pursed his lips, now fixing his eyes on Mikaela. "I need you to redo the spell your father placed on us to stop us from aging. The pack is in an uproar and I'm sure you don't want any harm to come to your coven."

"Of course not," Mikaela was quick to reply. "Please, do come in." She said, motioning towards the foyer.

Dmitri and Klaus moved back to make way, and the latter eyed the trio apprehensively as they passed him by.

Mikaela grabbed Klaus' hand as she led the group to the living room. She summoned James who tended to the group's needs. She excused herself to gather the needed materials consisting of spring water, rosemary oil, wolfsbane and her trusty dagger. She emerged back in the large hall not too long thereafter.

"Wolfsbane," Darius scoffed at her after taking a whiff into the air. "Are you trying to kill us?"

"Come now Darius, you need to sacrifice a little of yourself in order to be worthy of Eternity." She said. "Besides, if anything goes wrong, my blood will heal you in an instant."

"Your father didn't need it for his magic, why should I believe you?" He asked her sceptically.

"Have I ever given you a reason to doubt me, Darius?" she asked.

When no answer came, she led the group to a spot on the grass in front of the large mansion. The cool breeze drifted through her loose curls and over her silky skin. Klaus desperately wanted to touch her, but she moved away from his grasp and Dmitri knew he had to stop him from moving any further.

"You stay here with me Nik," he said as he held Klaus back.

Klaus wanted to snub the notion, but held back when he remembered that the two of them had been close once.

With her blade, Mikaela reopened the scarred vertical figure eight on her left palm; the symbol of Infinity. Her bright scarlet blood seemed to glow in the light of the full moon. Her eyes blackened at the sight of her hand and the veins around them lifted to just beneath the surface of her skin.

She gave the Alpha the mixture of spring water and rosemary oil, which he swiftly ingested. She then placed a wolfsbane petal on his tongue. Darius wanted to retch it out. She placed a finger on his lips to stop him from doing so. The smell of his seared skin filled the air. His blue eyes begged her to make it stop, to make the pain go away.

_"Aeternae iuuentutis," _she whispered, now holding her hand out to him.

Darius eagerly licked the blood from it and found salvation as it soothed the burn.

The scarring and bruises on the trio's bodies disappeared as the words left her lips. Their wrinkles were no more. Their muscles returned to their healthiest form and they felt stronger than ever.

Darius was speechless, never in the four millennia of his life had he felt this powerful.

"You are truly amazing my queen." He said, bowing down to kiss her hand once more. His entourage quickly followed the gesture.

"If only I were a few thousand years younger," Darius joked.

"You'd still be old enough to be her father," Klaus broke his train of thought.

"Mikaela," Darius said, pointing at Klaus, "You should stay away from him. I don't approve."

"Excuse me?" Mikaela opposed his statement.

"You heard me Mikaela. _Stay_ _away_." He reiterated.

"Or what," she dared, her eyes still black with fury.

The two Betas took a step back, but Darius stood firm, taking in her threatening mood.

"Or war." The words echoed through the porte cochère, scaring away the murder of crows perched on the chateaux's rooftop.

Mikaela moved with the breeze and twisted the necks of his followers.

"Consider this to be your reminder," she said, returning to her position next to Klaus.

Dmitri watched carefully for Darius' next move. His sister was so different than him.

_So reckless and impulsive_, he thought to himself, shaking his head.

Then again, Mikaela wasn't afraid to do what's right, regardless if it were two centuries or two seconds away.

Klaus stood motionless, gawking at the lifeless werewolves before him. He didn't even see Mikaela move in for the kill.

The hush seemed to go on forever as the two stared at each other, not blinking, until finally Darius broke the silence.

"War then," he said, not flinching.

Everything seemed to stop as Mikaela paced toward him. "I should kill you right now."

"Mikaela, Darius," Dmitri interrupted, positioning himself between the two, "Think of what you're saying."

"Sister, you're about to wage war, for a man. For a hybrid," he added, but immediately wished he hadn't.

Klaus cast his gaze down at his own body; his muscles were more defined, his hearing, sight and smell were sharper and he felt as renewed as the werewolf standing in front of him.

He grinned in amusement at Mikaela's capabilities. She's proven every possible supernatural impossibility he knew, was wrong. He took in the facts; vampires have been in existence for many millennia before the originals came to be; vampires, or at least she, could do magic; vampire royalty exists and vampire covens and councils were real. He realised then, he was willing to go to the end of the world for her.

"I'm right here," he replied, looking only at Mikaela. "And I will fight with you, my darling."

"And you will destroy your father in the process!" Dmitri pulled the ace from his deck.

Klaus moved a sceptical gaze to her brother, then Darius, and finally back to Mikaela. "This man… is my father?" He started to comprehend.

Mikaela nod her head, "Yes, he is."

Klaus moved towards Darius, "Forgive me for not being overcome with joy, but you've been dead to me for a long time."

Mikaela caught a glimpse of the arrow as it swirled and swished passed her. The deafening silence as it hit its target, echoed in her ears.

"Sister," Dmitri's voice was barely a whisper.

"_Desino lupos_," was her first command. Stuck in their tracks, the werewolf cavalry was rendered helpless.

She leapt to where her brother lay in Klaus' arms. The silver tipped wooden arrow was laced with vervain and missed his heart by a few centimetres. She wasn't sure how, but it was enchanted to draw the blood from its victim. Her brother's eyes were black as her own. His pain ran through her heart. The veins running through his body rushed to the surface.

Mikaela tore the arrow from where it was lodged and Dmitri moaned in agony as the blood gushed from the wound.

"Can't you do anything to help him?" Klaus pleaded.

"He needs blood Nik, now. The Salvatore's have a supply. Please-" Before she finished, Klaus had already left to go get help.

James came rushing towards the siblings with the entire blood supply he took to ground with him. He knelt on the ground beside Dmitri and helped him feed on the blood packs.

"_Adolebitbestiarum_," Mikaela cursed into the midnight sky towards the werewolves hiding in the distance. The ferocious flames swallowed the pack like a beast lurking in the dark night. It reduced them to ashes as it rose into the air. Their agonizing howls hollered heavily through the woods.

Mikaela turned her attention to Darius.

"Mikaela, _please_, have mercy." He pleaded with her.

Klaus arrived with Damon, Stefan, Elena and Caroline, carrying all the blood they could manage. They joined James and Dmitri away from the chaos.

"Mercy is for those who deserve forgiveness. There is no forgiveness for threatening or crossing me and there certainly is no forgiveness for harming my family and friends." Mikaela's words cut into Darius like a knife.

A blazing aura radiated around the queen.

"Mikaela," Dmitri called out to his sister. The power she was emitting at that moment scared him more than ever before.

His plea fell on deaf ears. Mikaela had cut off her senses from the world once more, creeping deeper still into the evil she possessed.

"Give me a chance," Darius begged for his life, certain he would be dead before sunrise.

Mikaela reached inside of him like he was nothing more than a pile of sand on the beach. She held out her other hand towards Damon, removing the injury from his face; the charred handprint now appeared on Darius instead.

Darius squirmed and tried to release himself from her grip, causing Mikaela to tear the rib she had latched onto. She reached into him again, making him suffer even more.

Next, she did the same with her brother's wound, inflicting it pitilessly on her helpless adversary. She could feel the life slowly slipping away between her fingers as she removed her hand from him. Weak and scared, a shivering Darius fell to his knees.

"Kill me, _please_." He finally asked for his death, crimson liquid flushing from his eyes and mouth.

"_Silentium_," Dmitri ordered into the night, he had to keep the outside world safe from the evil on the rise.

"Mikaela, komm zurück zu mir," he begged his sister to come back.

The composure in his voice only made her more irate.

"_Summoveo meosaeternae incantatum_," Mikaela tensely removed the effects of her invocation for eternal life. Darius would not suffer her wrath alone.

The wolfsbane came seeping through the Alpha's pores and his dehydrated flesh wrinkled before their eyes. He was withering away.

Damon and Klaus reached out to Mikaela, each grabbing hold of one of her hands. The earth pulsed around them as they did and they were forced to release their grip.

"_Mortem fitlupus_," she finally whispered and Darius was no more.

The rest of the world stood still as Mikaela's lifeless body fell to the ground.


	8. Ch 8: The Space Between

"Mikaela," she could barely hear the smooth accented voice whispering in her ears.

"Mikaela, can you hear me?" Klaus tried again, cupping his hands around her head.

"It's no use," said Dmitri, and then trailed off.

"This is how it starts, her murderous rage and it's always the wolves that seem to trigger it. Never been this bad though, I mean look at him." He said pointing at the cremated remains of Darius.

"What do we do now?" Damon said through clenched jaw, wringing his tingling wrists.

Both he and Klaus were still stunned from the kick of the current that ran through their bodies just a moment before.

"We need to get her inside... to the dungeon. We need vervain and we need to restrain her. "

"James, get everyone out of there now." The prince ordered the butler.

The man did as he was told, the fear that his queen might awaken any moment pulsating through his veins.

"What? Is that really necessary," Klaus pleaded, turning his attention to Dmitri, "She saved us... saved you."

"Nik, she's not who you believe she is right now. I know you saw it in her eyes too, she's possessed. When she wakes from this, she will rip apart what or whoever stands in her way." Dmitri urged. "If you thought Stefan was bad in his day, you have another thing coming."

Klaus lifted Mikaela from where she fell. Every inch of him screamed to run away with her right then and there, he contemplated the thought for a long moment thereafter.

Dmitri continued his instructions, "Elena and Caroline will you take care of the vervain?"

The girls left the manor in a hurried blur.

"Stefan and Damon," Dmitri turned towards the brothers, "We'll need some rope."

Damon laughed at the notion. "You really think _rope_ will stop her?"

"They will if they're soaked with vervain." Dmitri simply said.

Damon's smirk flat lined as he cast a gaze towards Mikaela.

"We need to break her, Damon." Dmitri spoke in a softer tone now, turning towards his old friend. "Klaus, you know we need to do this."

"Fine," Klaus finally gave in, "But I will stay with her."

"And so will I," Damon insisted.

Dmitri reluctantly agreed and he and Klaus watched on as Stefan and his brother left to get the rope.

James returned to inform the prince that the dungeon had been evacuated. The three men walked in solemn silence towards the lower level of the châteaux.

Klaus placed Mikaela on a concrete slab that had once been a prisoner's bed. Dmitri chained her arms to the semi-rusted cuffs against the wall.

Klaus took a seat on one of the three metal chairs James had placed in the room; he frantically bit at his bottom lip. He was anxiously bouncing his leg in anticipation while waiting for the others to arrive.

Elena and Caroline returned with a concerned Matt. He grabbed the bag of vervain from the trunk of Caroline's car and followed the girls to the front door where Dmitri invited them in and led them to the dungeon.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Matt asked as he caught a glimpse of Mikaela sprawled out on the elevated block.

"She'll be fine," Dmitri reassured him, "But as soon as you're done, you need to get out of here."

"I'm not going anywhere," Matt challenged.

"What is it with you lot and my sister?" Dmitri exclaimed, but agreed nevertheless.

Damon laughed quietly as he and Stefan entered the room, catching the last bit of conversation.

He handed the rope to Matt who soaked them in the mixture of vervain and boiling water. Matt removed the chains and reluctantly tied the rope around Mikaela, watching helplessly as some stray droplets burned through her skin.

"Tighter," Dmitri ordered from the sidelines.

Matt did as he was told, pulling the rope harder, until it could go no more.

Elena stared blankly at the doorframe instead of focusing the pain she knew Mikaela was in. Caroline stood next to her, rubbing a hand against Elena's arm in comfort.

Dmitri, Damon and Stefan took the duo of upset girls up to the house, where four of the group remained.

Damon grabbed the scotch he passed up on during his first visit and was now on his way back to the damp dimly lit dungeon.

"You never did tell me what happened with your little obsession with vampire Barbie." He tried to make conversation upon his return.

"The novelty's rub off," Klaus said, pouring himself a swirl of the alcohol his adversary had brought along with him.

Damon sat down against the wall and stared at Mikaela lying on the opposite side of the room.

"I just got tired of the constant fighting to be with her, you know." Klaus confessed, taking a seat next to him.

Damon knew all too well. He looked up from the glass which he was just about to take a drink from.

"I can relate." He said, gulping down the oaky liquid.

Both men topped up their drinks, then another and another.

"So, I take it you and Mikaela have a history." Damon finally asked.

"We used to be close." Klaus said.

"And now," Damon pressed.

"Mate, I think we both know what will happen if this becomes a fight." Klaus smirked, looking at a distressed Matt sitting at Mikaela's side.

The night had gone and come again and at last, Mikaela opened her coal tinted eyes. Her body was reddened and covered in blisters where the ropes scraped against her olive skin.

The human on her right looked tasty. She broke free of her roped bounds and sprawled a forearm around his chest.

"One more step and he's dead." She warned the other two males, awoken from their drunken haze.

"I'm hungry," she said, turning towards Matt, "And you look absolutely divine."

Dmitri ran into the room, "Sister." Stefan and the two female vampires swiftly followed him inside.

Caroline and Elena gasped at the perilous scene playing out in front of them.

"Be quiet." Mikaela hushed them all.

She listened to Matt's heartbeat and remembered its rhythm from the first time they'd seen each other. Mikaela turned his willing body to face the wall behind them so that she could survey the room.

"Mikaela," Matt whispered, looking into her eyes. She hushed him too by simply placing her index finger across his lips.

She tilted her head, ran her fingers through the back of his blonde mane and leaned into the heat of his neck. Her fangs sunk deep into its warmth. The hot blood rushed from her soft lips to her head. She didn't want the euphoria of this ecstasy to end, but let go of her bite when she felt his pulse slow down. She quickly bit down into her own wrist and made him drink.

He reluctantly did so.

"Now, _brother,_" She said uneasily, clutching Matt's hand. "You are going to let us go."

"No," both Caroline and Elena exclaimed.

"_You_ can go, but _he_ stays with us." Dmitri bargained.

The back door flared open and flew past them through the hall.

"Aren't you going to let our guest in Dmitri," Mikaela asked.

"Rebekah, come in but don't do anything stupid." He calmly said.

Klaus stepped in to hold her back as she rushed into the crowded dungeon.

"You were always good at keeping your family in check, Nik." Mikaela grinned. "Glad I can still count on you."

Rebekah glared at her brother in annoyance, "Why are you protecting her? We outnumber her six to one."

"She's our friend Rebekah," Klaus admitted.

"Friend," the word bitterly tainted her tongue.

Rebekah loosened Klaus' grip from her arm and coolly walked towards Mikaela.

"She's no friend of mine."

Rebekah's punch collided with Mikaela's open palm; the latter instinctively clasped her fingers around it and squeezed. The sound of bone breaking cracked through the otherwise silent dungeon.

"Enough," Matt said, "I'm going with her."

Mikaela released her hold, which left Rebekah squirming helplessly on the cold, hard floor.

Matt and Mikaela calmly exited the room.

"Don't follow or look for us." She said as she made her way through the threshold.

The snarl of the charcoal Ferrari 599 GTO disappeared into the sunset, and Matt and Mikaela with it.


	9. Ch 9: Let Me Be

"If we're gonna run, you might wanna change… I mean… " Matt murmured, motioning a hand around his face.

"Take the wheel," she instructed as she shut her eyes tightly.

Matt did as he was told, steering the supercar into the unknown.

Mikaela whispered a perplexing incantation and when she opened her eyes, she looked presentable once more. She dialled a number on her phone and switched to her bluetooth headset as she resumed control of the car.

"Lazarus," she said after a few rings, "Fuel the jet and submit our course for Miami."

The man on the other side of the line asked her a question.

"Two passengers in about six hours," she replied.

Lazarus confirmed the details.

"Thanks. See you then." Mikaela ended the call.

"So, what's your plan," A slightly worn out Matt asked as they pulled up to a hotel in Roanoke.

Mikaela turned down the music as she parked the car, "Why aren't you afraid?" she asked with furrowed brows.

"If you wanted to kill me, I'd be dead already." Matt replied, "Besides, you need me."

"I need you?" Mikaela laughed, unbuckling her seatbelt.

Matt did the same, "You _are_ going to use me as your walking blood bank, aren't you?"

"Is that what you would do?" She curiously questioned.

"It would probably be the smartest option; depending on whether or not I'm planning on going on a killing spree, that is."

Mikaela sniggered, exiting the vehicle. She looked at the second-rate parking lot around them. The Ferrari was quite out of place with the rest of the cars surrounding it. Nevertheless, this would have to do until it was time to leave for their destination. Her eyes met Matt's staring back at her.

"So, are you?" he asked, fearing the worst.

"I don't know," was all Mikaela replied.

"We should do something. You're her brother – you can find her." Klaus pressed.

"There's no way of finding Mika if she doesn't want to be found." Dmitri replied.

"So we're leaving Matt for dead then," Rebekah chirped in, unimpressed.

"Great plan." Caroline said sarcastically.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Stefan, we can't just sit around and wait. We have to do something."

_She's worse than the ripper? _Stefan shuddered at the thought.

He snapped out of his panicked state, "The car she took has a tracking device, right?"

"A tracking device," Dmitri asked, slightly perplexed.

"Yes, it does," James, who had been listening in the hallway, answered for him. He led the group to the computer in the study.

"Roanoke?" Rebekah asked as she stared blankly at the screen, "What's there?"

"An airport," Damon was the first to reply.

"That's only twenty minutes away." Elena excitedly replied.

"Wait, wait, wait… So, let me get this straight. We're going after a potentially possessed super-vampire with witchy powers and the ability to basically evaporate everyone in this room, without a plan."

"We get it Klaus, stupid move." Stefan answered, "Do you have a better idea?"

"No, no… It's just my kind of action." Klaus agreed with a devious smile, "Let's go."

"This is ridiculous, we need a plan." Dmitri tried to warn the group.

Rebekah stepped in, "We know Dmitri, but if we don't go now, it might be too late for Matt. There's no time to plan."

"She's right." Stefan replied, "Elena, Caroline and I will stay here in case she lets Matt go. This will be the first place he stops by."

Dmitri nodded and the foursome set out to where the Ferrari was located.

Damon's blue Chevy came to a halt in front of the hotel where Matt and Mikaela were resting.

"I'll go convince a receptionist to give us their room number." Damon said as he got out of his vehicle.

"Don't bother; Mikaela already knows we're here." Dmitri replied, pointing his finger towards the room dead ahead of them.

"I thought I told you not to follow me," Mikaela said moving from the front door to where the quartet stood.

"Don't do this Mikaela." Klaus tried to convince her.

"Do what exactly?" she answered.

"_This_," Damon anxiously pleaded, "Don't shut us out."

Dmitri stepped forward, "Let Matt go, please Mika."

Matt peered from the door. "I told you, I'm going with her."

Rebekah inched closer towards them. "You've compelled him into this, haven't you?"

"I've done no such thing," Mikaela smirked, "Jealous much?"

Rebekah was fuming. She lunged herself towards Mikaela who promptly tossed her through the air towards the other side of the parking lot.

"Stop testing my patience. It's wearing increasingly thin." Mikaela threatened.

Matt noticed from the stares of the group that she was back to her evil self.

"I think the four of you should leave now," he said as he walked towards them.

He then turned towards Mikaela. "Let's go inside okay," he said, flashing his smile.

Her eyes immediately softened as she returned with him to the room. There was something about this human that just seemed to calm her, to bring her back.

"Well, that was fruitful," Damon said as the group cowered back towards the car.

"So that's it then? We're just gonna leave him, without a fight," Rebekah scowled at the group.

"She threw you across the parking lot without even trying Rebekah." Klaus replied, "I don't know about you, but I'm not planning on dying here today."

"Look, we'll work on a plan and find her once we've got ourselves together." Damon reasoned as he started the engine.

Rebekah agreed and the group left the hotel a few moments later, silent and defeated.

Mikaela stood watching as the group left in Damon's car.

"Are you okay?" Matt asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine, Matt." She replied.

Matt gathered up some courage before he spoke again. "Fine doesn't look like this Mikaela. Fine doesn't act like this. Fine doesn't ignore the people who're concerned about you."

A tear trickled down her check. "You think I want to do this? Do you really think I want to be this person?"

"Then why are you running away?" Matt raised his voice.

"I'm not running." Mikaela replied.

"Oh really, 'cause that's exactly what it looks like to me."

"Damn it Matt, I'm trying to protect the people I care about." Mikaela lashed out at him.

Matt thought about it for a moment, "What about me? Do I even fall in that category?"

"Matty, of course I care about you. But it's like you said, I need you right now."

Matt tried to hide the faint smile creeping at his lips.

"The wolves aren't going to Mystic Falls; they'll find me where I am." She continued. "It scares me, but I'd rather die a thousand times over than let any of you get hurt."

"Then why turn your friends against you?" Matt questioned.

"Me? I'm the one that got tied up and vervained like some animal remember." Her voice trembled as she shook all over.

"Hey, I'm sor-" Matt tried to calm her.

"Don't be." Mikaela cut him off.

"Surely they can help you. You can't do this alone." A troubled Matt said.

"Says who," Mikaela urged, "I've been through worse."

"You don't have t-," Matt started.

"Matt… Enough." Mikaela responded, trying to keep her temper at bay.

"Where's Matt," Elena asked, peering at the quartet out the front door.

"Still with _her_," a scorned Rebekah answered.

"What? Why?" Caroline responded to the news.

"We went in blind and got a beating, that's why." Damon replied.

"Like I was trying to tell you, we need a plan. We can't just go up against her. It was a suicide mission from the start." Dmitri said.

"Then maybe it's time we called in some reinforcements." Elena said and immediately dialled Bonnie's number on her cell.

A flight attendant dressed in a grey uniform with the Ashcroft family crest embroidered on the pocket, brought Mikaela a whiskey glass filled with blood as soon as they boarded.

Matt remembered seeing the emblem above the porte cochère at the châteaux. He wondered for a moment whose blood was in Mikaela's glass and politely declined when the attendant enquired if he wanted anything.

After a smooth take off, the two passengers remained in silence, save for a brief call Mikaela made from the built-in phone on the other side of the aircraft.

Once she returned, she turned her view to the jet's window purposely avoiding the boy sitting across from her.

Matt rested his head against the window frame and the silent hum of the jet transported him back to sleep.

When he awoke, he noticed the untouched blood that rested in Mikaela's tray. The plane was taxiing its way towards the private hangar on the other side of the airport.

"Aren't you gonna have that?" Matt asked.

"Not my type," Mikaela joked, "But you're welcome to help yourself if you like."

Matt directed a worried glare towards her as they exited the jet.

A chauffeur stood waiting by the parked limo inside the hanger. He waited beside the open car door for the two to enter before shutting the door behind them.

"I've never been in one of these before," Matt tried to make conversation as the vehicle began to move, "Or a jet for that matter."

"I guess the penthouse suite of a five star hotel is on that list too." Mikaela teased.

"Definitely," Matt laughed.

Mikaela treated him to a glass of the 1961 Dom Pérignon from the limo's minibar. She failed to mention however, that this particular bottle was nicked from the wedding of a member of a royal family.

"Miss Ashcroft, welcome back," the Hotel Manager welcomed her with open arms.

"Charlie!" Mikaela greeted him with a hug.

He offered the unfamiliar face his outstretched hand, "Ah, mister?"

"Donovan," Matt replied meeting the man's handshake.

"Welcome, and pleased to meet you sir." Charlie replied.

He then returned his attention to Mikaela. "Miss Ashcroft, the Penthouse is ready for you and your guest. Shall I escort you to see that everything is to your liking?"

"No thank you Charlie, I'm sure everything is perfect." She replied, "We will have to do some shopping whilst we're here however. Can I trust that you'll make the necessary arrangements?"

"Certainly," the man happily agreed, "Will half an hour be sufficient for you to get settled?"

"Of course, we'll meet you down here." She replied.

Mikaela collected the room key cards from him and took Matt up to the top floor.

"_We're staying_ _here,_" Matt asked in awe on their way up the gold plated elevator.

"There are some perks to being a vampire with an extensive bank account." She smiled.

Matt's eyes widened as he entered the suite. The ceiling to floor windows in the lounge area gave way to a balcony overlooking the crashing waves below. "This is ridiculous; my whole house can fit into this room."

"Wait until you see the bedroom," Mikaela laughed.

Mikaela plonked herself on the bed and left Matt to explore the rest of the suite.

The half-hour went by faster than both of them realised and soon they were escorted to the Armani store just a few blocks away. Mikaela grabbed a few items for herself and picked out some outfits for Matt too, a welcome change from his usual plaid shirts and denim jacket. Matt's eyes widened at the total, but Mikaela happily swiped her card before they returned to the hotel.

"Am I a prisoner?" Matt asked, peering from the bathroom door after a long hot shower. He was half-dressed in his new dark grey Armani track pants and ran a hand through his wet blonde hair.

"Need I remind you that you came out of your own free will?" Mikaela stated as she moved stealthily towards where he stood.

Matt chuckled, "I didn't mean that in a bad way. You can kidnap me any day if these are the conditions."

She pushed him up against the doorframe; tracing a finger across his bare chest. His heart was racing beneath her touch.

"Hungry?" He teased, smiling down at her.

Mikaela smirked, "Yeah, let's go with that."

She walked towards the window on the opposite side of the room. "I ordered you some room service while you were in there." She said, not looking back.

"I'm not the one we should be worried about," he replied, "You haven't had blood since we left Mystic Falls."

"Mikaela?" he tried to get her dwindling attention, "Are you okay?"

"Hmm… Sorry... Yes." She said, trying to convince herself more than him.

"Drink," he insisted, offering his wrist.

"No, I can't right now." She said as she pushed his arm away, "I just need some air."

Matt pulled a white t-shirt over his head and joined her on the balcony. "You're not okay, are you?"

"I'm just tired." She said admiring the pink and orange hues of the sunrise in the baby blue sky.

The early morning breeze brushed up against Matt's muscular arms as he flung them around Mikaela's body.

She leaned back into his arms, nestling her head beneath his chin.

Why did everything have to be so damn complicated? She longed for a normal life, where love was easy and never-ending feuds were a thing of the past.

"We should go inside." She whispered after a while, trying to conceal her anger and frustration.

Matt, none the wiser, entwined his hand with hers and escorted her indoors.

Mikaela's phone rang somewhere in the bedroom and she went to search for it.

"What do you want," she answered the call.

"The girls want to know if Matt's okay." The voice quickly answered back.

"He's alive." Mikaela replied.

"Do you mind proving it?" Dmitri asked, handing the phone over to Rebekah.

"Matt, it's for you." Mikaela called out to him.

Matt took the phone from her, slightly perplexed. "Hello… Yes, I'm fine… No, she's not crazy… Everything's okay… Okay, bye."

"Damon wants to speak to you," he said as he handed the phone back to her.

"Damon," she answered into the phone.

He tried to get the right words together, "Are you gonna let him go?"

"Of course I am." She replied smiling as she watched Matt take a bite from the flapjacks drizzled in syrup.

"Alive?" Damon asked.

"Yes, he'll even still be human." Mikaela joked.

"I miss you," he said, "I mean it."

The words stung like poison to her heart.

Matt cried out to her in the background. Her unconscious body dropped to the floor, but this time landed in Matt's arms.

"Matt," Damon's voice echoed through the phone.

Matt grabbed the phone next to them, "Yeah."

"What just happened," Damon queried.

"She passed out," Matt gulped, "Oh my God…"

"What is it?" Damon's patience was running out.

"She's bleeding from her nose and eyes. What do I do?" Matt anxiously asked.

"When was the last time she ate?" Damon asked.

Matt swallowed dryly, "She hasn't had anything since the dungeon."

Damon was overcome by a feverish sense of panic, "Get out of there now, do you hear me? Where are you?"

"Miami." He replied, "Uh, Damon…"

"What?"

"She's awake."


	10. Ch 10: Beneath the Surface

Mikaela grabbed the phone from Matt and crushed it between her fingers. Matt looked on as the broken pieces fell to the ground. He instinctively propped himself up against the foot of the bed. He couldn't bring himself to run.

"Get up," Mikaela said as she inched toward his feet.

Matt did as he was told. He stared into her cold, hard eyes looking for some sign of the Mikaela he knew, but was unsuccessful in his venture. She was gone. The person in front of him was a dangerous stranger. _A monster._

His heart beat faster as he thought of every possible deed she was capable of at that very moment. She smirked at him, noticing the change in his heart's tempo.

"Fear is only as deep as the mind allows." She said and before Matt realised what was going on, he was compelled into a dream.

_Loud bursts of thunder roared through the midnight sky whilst white flashes of lightning lit up the cold dark basement. Matt noticed the rain flooding through the basement window and made a mental note to remember it as a potential escape route for later, if there would be a later. _

_He was chained to a hospital bed in the centre of the room; the operating lamp above him provided him with partial light, but not enough to do much justice. He called out to Mikaela. An eerie silence followed. He wriggled his arms, trying to break free from his bounds. Sadly, they were too tough and he was too weak._

_The basement door creaked open and Mikaela swooped down beside him. Her eyes were black as the night and she leaned in to whisper something in his ear. He could barely make out her apology. She pulled out a silver dagger from behind her back and examined it carefully. Matt's heart raced even faster at the sight of the full moon glistening on the shiny blade. He pleaded for Mikaela to untie him, but she did not answer. Matt was frozen with fear. This is it, he thought as Mikaela pressed the cold knife to his chest. There she carved an identical mark to the one on her palm; the symbol of infinity. He wanted to scream out in agony, but no noise came from his mouth. _

_Mikaela placed a finger on his cracked lips. She lifted his head and leaned in to kiss them, running a hand through his soft blonde hair as she did. When she lifted her gaze, Matt's eyes begged for her to stop, but she didn't. She couldn't. She traced the tip of the razor-sharp dagger up to his throat and cut a thin, deep line through the vein. A twisted grin crossed her face as his blood gushed from the wound. Matt noted the veins around her eyes feverishly rising to the surface of her face. Mikaela licked her lips in anticipation of the sweet, warm liquid dripping from Matt's wound. Her soft kisses around the incision quickly turned to a bite and Matt felt lightheaded as the scarlet essence in his veins was drained from him. He motivated himself to stay awake. _

_A sated Mikaela cut her wrist and allowed her blood to fall into his wound. She watched on as both their wounds began to heal. She reopened her wound and allowed Matt to drink from it. He permitted the metallic taste to taint his taste buds. He begged a final time for her to let him go and yet again she did not answer. Slightly groggy, Matt was not prepared for what would happen next. Mikaela took the silver dagger and pierced his heart. This time his cry of pain echoed through the room. He sensed his life slipping away. Slowly, his mind filled with memories from the past, thoughts of Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Tyler and Vickie. And when his sister appeared in front of him, he knew it was the end. He let go of his fear and then, he was surrounded by the light._

Mikaela stood watching over Matt as he awoke with a jolt. The malevolent grimace on her face told him that he was in more trouble than he signed up for. Suddenly staying behind in Mystic Falls seemed like the better idea.

He noticed the blood-stained dagger from his dream lying on the nightstand beside him and checked underneath his white shirt to see the outline of the symbol carved on his chest. Comprehension crossed his face and he instinctively asked Mikaela if he was dead.

She wiped the bloodstain that tainted her lips. "No, but you could've been," she replied.

Matt tried not to flinch as she took a seat beside him.

"I need you to leave Matt," she said, turning her gaze away from him.

Matt gulped. "Are you okay," he asked.

"I've arranged for a driver to take you to the airport and my jet will take you to back to Roanoke. I'll let my butler know to collect you from there and take you back to Mystic Falls." She replied.

"You didn't answer my question." Matt frowned.

A knock beckoned them from the front door of the suite.

"That's the porter; you'll find your backpack at the door." Mikaela said, still ignoring Matt's concern.

Matt stood up from the bed and made his way to the entrance.

"You know where to find me if you need me." He sighed, slamming the door behind him.

"I'm not okay," Mikaela whispered to herself.

She stepped into the bathroom and removed the jacket she used to cover her blood-stained back. She turned on the showerhead and removed the rest of her tainted clothing. A set of large black wings emerged through the fresh cut that ran down her spine.

She looked up at the mirror to inspect the crimson soaked feathers as she stretched them out over her head. A distorted image stared back at her. She was not looking at herself, but something that she'd kept hidden inside her for the past two centuries. All the hurt, fear, hatred and disgust that had been concealed all these years bundled up into this being. A second self, an evil-twin; hidden right there, beneath the surface.

"I've kept my word," the blurry vision said, "I did this to protect you, you know?"

"Protect me from what?" Mikaela spat back.

"Matt... Damon... Klaus… They're all nothing but trouble."

Mikaela snarled back at the figure, "Don't you think at my age I'd know what's best for me?"

"If that were true, I wouldn't have to be here." The voice calmly responded. "Nonetheless, I spared your human's life and now it's your turn to do something for me."

"And what is it you'd have me do?" Mikaela shot back at the mirror.

"You need to kill the source of our problem. I've had enough of these silly little wolves, haven't you?" It replied.

Mikaela's mind wandered to the hybrids back in Mystic Falls.

"Always so compassionate," the voice said, "It will only hurt them a little."

"A little," Mikaela responded sarcastically. "You want me to erase a piece of what they are. They could die."

The disgusting being smirked at Mikaela, it was starting to look more human now.

"I could always settle for the humans." It answered.

Mikaela comprehended the consequences of her noncompliance. She stepped into the shower and started to rinse the bloody mess from her body.

"What am I supposed to do with these," she asked.

The figure in the mirror waved its hand and Mikaela noticed the wings starting to retract themselves.

"Don't be so ungrateful," the female voice said, "They'll return to you when I deem them necessary."

There was something familiar about the voice this time, but Mikaela brushed it off.

"I wish you'd get out of my head," she shouted towards the mirror, "I can't think with your constant criticism."

"Reminds you of your father, doesn't it," The voice taunted, "Well done with that by the way. I didn't think you had it in you."

This fuelled Mikaela's anger even more. "You leave him out of this," She yelled.

"He loved you, you know, both of you. I don't think he knew how to show it though." The voice continued.

Mikaela went silent as she turned off the running water. The outline of the woman was clearly visible through the steamy glass door. Mikaela waited for the last of the blood to circle down the drain and wrapped the white bath towel around herself. She stepped out of the shower and was greeted by a familiar face staring back at her.

She shook her head in disbelief, "This isn't real. You're… You can't be."

"Don't be afraid my darling, you and I are going to rule the world."

The hair on Mikaela's arms stood on end. For a moment she wanted to believe what she was seeing, she wanted to believe it was true. She widened her realm of possibility as she kept her eyes fixated on the woman standing in front of her. She'd been longing to see and touch her for the past two millennia and there she stood with open arms. Mikaela stepped forward and threw her arms around the woman; around her mother, Lilith.


	11. Ch 11: Preparing for War

Bonnie chanted the locator spell as she poured her blood on the map, _"Phasmatos Tribum, Nas Ex Veras, Suquita Segenis, Amentes Ase Nichan, Egapetos." _

Caroline and Elena had met her at her house before school to conjure the spell. They had to find Matt and Bonnie was their last hope.

Please be alive, Caroline repeated in her mind, watching on as Bonnie's blood finally centered on the map.

"Mystic Falls," Elena asked, confused.

"That can't be right Bonnie." Caroline interrupted, "We would definitely have felt them if they were here. Or felt _her_ at least."

"That's what it says girls, now can we please get to school before we miss first period." Bonnie urged the two. "Knowing Matt, that's probably where he'd be."

"What are we waiting for then?" Caroline replied, "Let's go."

Lilith had instructed Mikaela to take a visit to the clan whilst she worked on regaining her strength. And as Mikaela tread through the woods, she found that she had to focus harder as she journeyed through the moonless night. The woods were dark, but she was on high alert for any oncoming danger. Mikaela was unconsciously rubbing her father's lapis lazuli ring on her thumb. She hadn't been able to access the Powers she gained from him for a while now, but she especially wished for the seeing eyes on her way to the clan.

The eerie shadows of the tall trees left her feeling uneasy. She was being watched and the slight evening breeze aided her strong sense of smell. Not that she needed it for this distinct scent, that of a hybrid.

"You shouldn't be following me," she called out into the night. "Do you have a death wish?"

She stopped dead in her tracks. The woods were full of silence.

"Nik," she probed after a while.

No, she whispered to herself whilst turning around. The hairs on her arms stood on end. More than one enemy hid in the shadows before her, each one more beastly and savage than the next. She knew the pack of hybrids belonged to Klaus, but he was definitely not amongst them.

"So you're the vampire queen?" A tanned dark haired hair man stepped out of his hiding place.

"I am," Mikaela replied, surveying the numerous scars on the man's face.

"What does that make your mother then," the man enquired.

Mikaela hesitated for a moment. "My mother is dead," she answered.

A roar of hoarse laughter broke out in the woods and the remaining hybrids stepped out of hiding one by one.

"If that were true," the man replied, motioning his hand to the wounded men around him as he spoke "then we would be fifty strong instead of the thirteen that are left."

"And what is it you want with me then?" Mikaela spoke.

"Revenge," he answered.

"And how do you propose to go about that?" Mikaela reverted.

Mikaela could feel she was getting closer to the town and secretly and hoped the clan could feel her presence too. The conversation she had with Ivan, the hybrid leader, kept repeating itself in her mind. Only God knows why she let them go.

Enough, she thought to herself. If her mother knew the thoughts running through her mind, she'd be dead in an instant. Mikaela immediately discarded them and continued on her way through the enchanted path that led her to the village. Not too long thereafter, she was met by two guards who knelt before her. They led her into the enclosed stone walled area. Mikaela looked around to realise she had forgotten the enormity of it all. The vampiric townspeople met her with hushed whispers and frightful glares.

"Majesty," a voice came from behind.

Mikaela turned in shock, before her stood the same golden hair and rose-tinted cheeks as her third victim she murdered a month before. She still had nightmares of the woman's blood seeping through her fingers. This man was clearly her brother. Mikaela could see the pain in his emerald green eyes.

"Henry," she greeted, "Convene the rest of the council and meet me in the main chamber of the parliament."

Her intentions were clear. The man bowed low and did as he was told. Mikaela thanked the guards and sent them back to their post. This is the moment of truth she thought, and she continued on her way towards the building in the centre of town. She was radiating abundant power now and it was undoubted that she was the dominant authority in the vampiric village.

Elena, Stefan and Caroline looked up in awe as Matt entered the classroom. Bonnie shot him a smile and he routinely took his place in the seat behind her, dumping his backpack on the ground beside him.

He silently removed the required textbooks; trying not to pay attention to the stares from his friends. He would have preferred to stay home, but midterms were coming up, and now was not the time to be missing any classes. He had so many questions running through his head. Luckily for him, the substitute teacher did not note his obvious distraction. Elena tried on several occasions to get his attention, all of which failed miserably. And when the bell rang, he was one of the firsts to exit the classroom.

"Matt, wait up," Stefan called out behind him.

Matt stopped dead in his tracks. He had to face them sooner or later.

"Hey," was all he could manage.

Elena and Caroline each grabbed one of his arms and led him outside.

"What's going on Matt? When did you get back? How are you?" Caroline bombarded him with questions.

"Nothing much... Yesterday... And okay, I guess." He answered.

"Where is _she_?" was Stefan's first question.

"Still in Miami, I think." Matt answered, "She let me go."

After she tortured and murdered me in my sleep, he wanted to add, but didn't for obvious reasons.

"She's dangerous now," Stefan said, "Maybe she just needs time to cool off."

Matt shook his head. "She's in trouble, I can feel it, but she doesn't want any help."

"Well, maybe it's better this way." Elena tried to console him.

"Definitely," Caroline added with a smile, "You're safe now."

Matt shrugged. He knew he should be grateful for that, but it offered little comfort for the way he was feeling.

Classes came and went and before the guys knew it, football practice was over too. Matt, Tyler and Stefan were the last to leave the locker room.

"What's that?" Tyler asked pointing at Matt's exposed chest.

Matt had already forgotten about the branded mark. It was the only thing that hadn't healed from Mikaela's blood.

"Did _she_ do that?" Stefan asked, taking a closer look.

"Yeah, it's weird," Matt explained, "It was happening in this dream, but when I woke up it was really there."

Stefan was even more concerned now. "What else happened in this dream?"

"She gashed my throat, drank my blood and made me drink her blood," Matt answered, "And then she stabbed me, in the heart."

An awkward silence followed for a moment.

"Wait, are you-," Tyler started to ask.

"No, that last part didn't really happen." Matt replied.

"Are you sure?" Stefan enquired.

"Yes Stefan, I'm sure." Matt snapped, "No blood cravings and the sun's not hurting my eyes. I'm still me. I'm still human."

He pulled a t-shirt over his head, shut his gym locker and stormed out of the change room leaving a stunned Stefan and Tyler behind.

Silence filled the parliament chamber as Mikaela entered the room. The council took in every inch of their new queen.

"What have you done?" One of the council demanded, "What were you thinking?"

A unified gasp rang out through the hall.

"I did what I believed was best." Mikaela answered without a doubt.

"Without consulting us," the minister queried again.

"Need I remind you whom you are speaking to George," Mikaela challenged with raised brow.

"I know very well," he interrupted matter-of-factly, slamming his fist on the table.

Mikaela inhaled deeply, rapidly clenching and releasing her fist. She had to make an example of this man. Her veins raged with boiling blood. The deafening silence was suddenly interrupted by the crashing of the large stain glass window located behind the council.

Mikaela calmly walked towards where they remained seated. She seized a fragment of royal blue glass from the floor and jabbed it into the defiant minister's neck. Holding his head back, Mikaela tore through his flesh in one swift movement. The rest of the council watched on in terror. With a final yelp, the decapitated man burst into flames.

"I will not have you questioning my methods." Mikaela spoke as she tossed the glass shard to the floor. The clear, strong tone of her voice resonated in the quiet chamber.

She looked down at her crimson stained hands, the minister's thick blood still dripping from her fingertips. "Those of you that are willing to follow my leadership may remain seated. Those who are not, you are dismissed."

No one dared to ask what would happen should they not obey her wishes. They knew exactly what their queen was capable of.

"_Fidelis usque ad mortem_, my queen," Henry recited without hesitation.

Mikaela looked up at the family crest on the wall in front of her; the magnificent silver phoenix with outstretched wings clutching an ouroboros shaped into an infinity symbol was adorned with lapis lazuli, it was the ultimate representation of eternity. She carefully read the Latin words engraved into the flames and couldn't help but smile, faithful even to death.


	12. Ch 12: Appearances often hide Reality

Mikaela stood overlooking the evergreen conifers between the valleys of the Appalachian Mountains. She was right in the middle of werewolf territory and dreaded being there. Darius' pack was surely roaming the gorges below. Aside from a mild breeze blowing through her lengthy dark curls, the eerie calm and silence of the mountain range was starting to get to her.

Her mother's absence wasn't the best reassurance either.

The beeping sound of her new phone roused her from her trance. She instinctively removed it from the old leather pouch strapped to the side of her right leg. She was amazed she had any signal up here. Mesmerized by the red light blinking at her, she decided to check in on the real world.

_It's me._ The first message on her voicemail started.

She instantly pictured the man as if he were standing right in front of her. His dark wavy hair and fiery sky blue eyes... The handsome dimples in his cheeks when he smiled... His soft enviable lips and strong, muscular features...

It took all her might not to let her feelings get the best of her and she knew instantaneously that listening to this message would be a mistake.

_You're mad, I get it, but I'm worried. _Mikaela cringed as she listened on.

Her thoughts drifted to her last brief conversation with him. Just before she completely lost herself, before she almost killed Matt.

She expected the first call to be from him, him she could handle, but not Damon - not now.

She rubbed her temples whilst the current message continued_. I hate not knowing if you're dead or alive. _

_And I don't know what I'm supposed to do... _There was a slight pause in his usually confidant tone before he carried on.

_I don't know what I'm supposed to do - without you. _

Mikaela's heart skipped a beat. She bit at her bottom lip, her mind abuzz with at least a dozen thoughts.

_Just call me back okay. Please._

"It really sounds like he misses you." Lilith's cynical whisper came from behind.

Mikaela ended the call, suddenly feeling foolish for removing her phone in the first place.

Lilith placed her right hand on Mikaela's shoulder and Mikaela turned around to face her.

She noticed her legion of soldiers still bowing behind Lilith. It irked her that her mother kept them waiting for her acknowledgement.

Mikaela could sense the domineering fear and distress in her battalion. She had prepared them for this, but the anxiety of Lilith's revivification seemed to be too much for them. Such an event was truly unheard of and no one was bold enough to oppose the original queen of the Eternal.

The power she radiated was unbearable. Mikaela struggled not to turn, her inner power fighting her – begging to be let loose. She could feel the veins beneath her eyes rising but fought the urge to succumb to it. She shut her eyes and wished it away.

"Let it consume you, Mika," Lilith pressed.

Mikaela let out a loud sigh, "I will turn when the occasion calls for it mother."

She struggled to calm her racing heart as she gestured her hand towards her troops.

Lilith rolled her eyes at this.

"Warriors of The Eternal," she lavishly announced, "Rise."

Mikaela went to clear her thoughts at one of the fir trees located merely a few metres away from where the soldiers stood. Her father's phoenix pendant swayed violently around her neck as she walked away.

_She didn't truly want this, did she? _

"Of course you do," her mother interrupted her thoughts.

Mikaela rolled her eyes at her sudden invasion of privacy.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show," she spoke when the older woman was beside her.

"Oh darling," Lilith expressed her disapproval at the words, "I wouldn't miss this for anything."

Mikaela didn't like any of this. Her mother was so calm and composed and it just didn't sit right.

"You're going to need these," Lilith said patting Mikaela on her upper back.

Mikaela was overcome by her sudden state of discomfort. A sharp bite of pain shot through her back. She doubled over as the set of large black feathers emerged from her spine once more. Her agonizing outcry echoed through the silent forest around them. Mikaela's rage radiated around her form in an aura of pure black fog and her eyes turned dark as a moonless night.

Lilith took a step back, covering her mouth in disbelief of what she had done.

"Happy now mother?" Mikaela's distorted voice queried.

Lilith was speechless.

The scent of Mikaela's blood filled the late afternoon air. Its metallic flavour lingered on her lips.

Her trance was interrupted by the sudden appearance of her father in front of her. Seemingly, she was the only one who could see him.

"Mikaela, stay calm and listen."He spoke, his tone soft and understanding.

_Great_, she thought to herself. Like this wasn't bad enough already…

"No need for snide remarks," he continued, "I've come to warn you that this is a trap."

Mikaela broke out in an uncontrollable laughter. The whispers of her soldiers behind her grew in intensity.

"Help is on the way, you just need to stall for a little while. Be alert and prepare yourself for the worst." Samael said, cupping his hand around his daughter's face.

And with that he disappeared yet again.

Mikaela's instincts were right and her blood was torrid beneath the surface.

"Is everything okay love," her mother asked, alarmed by her obvious distraction.

"Yes of course mother."

Mikaela wanted to rip the woman's heart out right then and there.

_Calm down..._ She was reminded of her father's words.

"Shall we go then," Lilith asked.

"No," Mikaela insisted, "We wait. Until nightfall if we must."

"But surely the wolves will have spotted us by then. We'd be at a disadvantage. Mikaela, we have to strike-" Lilith started.

"I said we wait," Mikaela could barely contain her anger as she interrupted the woman.

Lilith was taken aback by her boldness.

"If you insist, my sweet." She answered, not wanting to further anger her daughter.

Mikaela stood to the side as she awaited further instruction from her father's guiding voice, however, he didn't say a word thereafter. He didn't have to.

The late afternoon breeze carried the scent of her accomplices. Three of the people she didn't necessarily want to see, but was glad to have as backup.

Her warriors were in an uproar behind her and she knew exactly why. The distinct smell of a hybrid was filling the air around them.

"Stand down," Mikaela commanded.

"What's the meaning of this?" Lilith demanded, as she took another step back.

"I thought it best to have some familiar faces with me," Mikaela answered smugly.

Dmitri, Damon and Klaus emerged from the ever darkening woods. The trio were taken aback by Mikaela's appearance, everything from the dark mist that surrounded her to the intensity of her jet-black eyes.

"Now there's a sight for sore eyes," Klaus said, shrugging off his fears and doubts.

Instead, he found himself admiring Mikaela's battle wear. She was clad in a pair of dark skinny jeans, a black tank top and a matching pair of flat, leather knee-high boots. Her sleek dark hair was tied up in a high ponytail.

Mikaela shot him a weary smile and hugged him tightly.

Dmitri greeted her next, with open arms.

"Sister," he said, receiving her with a smile.

Mikaela walked over and welcomed her sibling with a loving hug.

"Brother," she closed her eyes and whispered in return.

She then detected Damon's glance from over Dmitri's shoulder.

Once she let go of her brother's embrace, she walked over to him.

"Damon," she managed in a low voice.

Once they were toe to toe, he pulled her closer towards him and held her as tight as he could.

The black shroud that surrounded her disappeared as he did. No further words were needed. She knew exactly what he was feeling as she was feeling it with him. His happiness fuelled her strength of mind.

She wanted to tell him all she'd been through over the last few days, but now was hardly the time.

She softly kissed the side of his neck before pulling herself away. This was going to be harder than she thought.

Mikaela shut her eyes for a moment and a powerful current ran through her. It was the exact same electrifying impulse she felt before executing Darius. Finally, the seeing eyes had returned.

Her heart pounded hard inside of her chest.

This was it.

Dmitri felt his sister's sudden distress.

"Silentium," he shouted out into the poorly lit woods, but nothing happened.

"Desino lup-," Mikaela started her invocation, but she was already too late.

The draught finally brought the uninviting smell of the werewolves. The alarmed cry of a faceless soldier rang through the woods and his decapitated head landed in the empty space in front of Mikaela.

She looked around at her three companions and searched for a moment for her mother, but Lilith was nowhere to be seen.

Mikaela stepped forward out of the crowd and announced herself as the leader of the platoon.

"I am Mikaela Ashcroft, queen of the Eternal," she announced.

Before her stood a squad of five superior Alpha's – their strength was equivalent to that of an Eternal. These men were each accompanied by a lower level Alpha and they in turn were surrounded by their packs. Darius' new successor was amongst the subordinate Alpha's; he and his pack were seemingly the weakest of them all. Together, they had at least double the amount of soldiers than Mikaela's squad.

Nothing was ever easy.

"I know exactly who you are your majesty." The leader amongst the Alpha's mockingly stated.

He stepped forward towards her, leaving the rest of his group behind.

"These," he said running a finger down her outstretched wings, "are not very vampire like."

His touch sent a tingle down her spine.

"An unwanted gift, I can assure you." Mikaela smirked.

Her soldiers were at the ready, waiting for their queen's further instruction.

"We mean you no harm," Mikaela continued, trying to reassure the wolves.

"My queen-," Henry interjected.

Mikaela turned around and put her army at ease with a single look.

"Your mother insists that you're here to kill us." The leader argued, gesturing towards Lilith at his pack's side.

Lilith grinned at her children.

"That is your mother, isn't it?" He further enquired.

Mikaela raised one of her dark brows. "My mother is dead," she replied.

"How dare you deny me?" Lilith angrily interrupted. "Dmitri, surely you can give your assurance to the king that I am who I say I am."

Dmitri sided with Mikaela, "My sister speaks the truth. Our mother died many years ago."

The barricade of wolves around them started to close in.

_Prepare yourself for the worst, _she reminded herself again of her father's words.

"We're merely training," Mikaela continued, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Training… In the Appalachians," the king laughed.

"You're either very brave or extremely stupid." He proclaimed.

"With all due respect," Henry spoke up.

"You are addressing the princess who became our queen by killing her own father along with five council members of the Eternal. If it weren't for her, we would still be stuck in our shameful primitive ways or even worse, exposed to all humankind. So I do believe, sir, that that constitutes to being beyond brave."

"And was your own sister not amongst those that were slain councilman?" The king asked.

"She was." Henry replied.

"And you will forgive your new queen's infringes and follow her leadership?"

"Until death," Henry answered in all certainty.

The king was impressed with Mikaela's council member's loyalty. Lilith on the other hand was quite unmoved. Mikaela could feel her mother's power mounting from the other side of the open plane. She pushed the king out of harm's way.

"_Silentium_," Mikaela tried to cast her brother's failed spell, but still nothing happened.

The displeased king rushed to join his kind on the other side of the plain. He was not amused by Lilith's obliviousness, but was too anxious to take any counter action against her.

Mikaela settled her frustration and collected her thoughts. Just because her spells were useless against the wolves, didn't mean she was going to allow her warriors to die for her.

She turned towards them with a reassuring smile and repeated the spell, her voice soft yet unwavering, "_Silentium_."

Instantaneously, all fifty of her soldiers were surrounded by an orb of pure white light.

Damon and Klaus flanked Mikaela as she prepared herself for what was coming.

_Be alert, _she could hear her father again.

"_Custodio_," she commanded into the sky and watched on as the shield of light deflected the oncoming rain of arrows.

The arrows deflected off the orb of protection she had casted on her army, but Mikaela was surprised to hear a thud in the woods behind her. Once her senses returned to her, she realised that the hybrids had arrived. Their timing quite unfortunate...

Ivan, their leader was struck with at least three of the silver tipped vervained arrows. With his last breath, he ordered the remaining hybrids to assist the queen.

Mikaela withdrew three kunai from the leather pouch at her side and simultaneously hurled them in the direction of the wolves. The force of the blow caused its unfortunate victim to fall to the ground. He died a quick death and probably didn't even see it coming.

Dmitri removed his dagger and took his place between Klaus and his sister. His own eyes were black as the night around them.

"_Incendo_," he demanded and a blaze of fire surrounded the two parties.

Mikaela caught sight of the fire-bolt her mother had hurled towards them. She flung her arm out towards her brother in an attempt to avert the blow. The bolt however, pierced her skin and punctured his chest. A burst of light radiated from the two of them.

"Silentium," Mikaela whispered as the two of them hit the ground.

The siblings, as well as the rest of their convoy, were instantly enclosed in a protective orb.

Mikaela cut open her left hand on a nearby rock and poured her blood over the tear in her brother's chest.

She tried with all her might to stop the bleeding.

"Mika-," he whispered softly.

"Don't," her voice crackled as she interrupted.

"If you do this you won't be able to save yourself." Dmitri pleaded.

"I don't care," Mikaela replied. She winced at the searing pain shooting through her right arm.

"You're all that's left of The Eternal. You're the elder of our clan. If you die, they all die." Dmitri convinced her.

"I can't." Mikaela cried out, tears now streaming down her face.

Dmitri clutched his sister's relentless palm and placed it over her wounded arm.

"You can and you will." He said.

He smiled up at his sister and with that, his lifeless body burst into flames.

Mikaela shot up from where she knelt beside him. Streaks of bloodied tears lingered on her cheeks.

A raging aura oozed from her, healing her wound.

The light around her shone the brightest anyone had ever seen.

The Alpha's and their subordinates fell to their knees in fear of what lay ahead.

Damon grabbed Klaus who was inching towards her. He warningly shook his head as he knew exactly where this was going.

Klaus reluctantly obeyed.

Mikaela stepped forward out of the protective orb and held out her palm towards Lilith, beckoning her forwards.

Lilith was helpless; she mouthed incantation after incantation, all of which fell on deaf ears. Mikaela emitted a stream of light from the palm of her hand. She watched keenly as the beam pierced her mother's suspended body.

"He didn't deserve to die like that," Mikaela shouted at her mother, pointing towards her brother's ashen remains. "You on the other hand deserve much worse."

Lilith's floating body came to a halt when it reached Mikaela.

"Stop," she shouted out to her daughter. "Kill me and he dies too."

Mikaela's body froze as the blonde haired, blue eyed young man appeared behind Lilith. She drew in her breath when she saw the dagger floating in the air towards where his heart was.

She had no choice but to use Matt as a distraction and sent a bolt of light flying towards him.

"You didn't really think a human would mean so much to me, did you?" she provoked Lilith.

Matt yelled out in agonizing pain as, unknown to everyone except him and Mikaela, the wound on his chest began to reopen.

Lilith couldn't believe her eyes.

Was her daughter truly mercilessly killing this man or was she merely bluffing?

Meanwhile, with one of the sharp edges on her father's lapis ring, Mikaela reopened her own infinity symbol, taking care not to be seen.

Lilith decided to test her theory. "If he really means so little to you, let's speed this up then."

And with that - the dagger pierced through skin, slid past crimson lining and punctured a heart.


End file.
